Well, let's see. The Anaheim Ducks blasted the Detroit Red Wings in their own building.
Another duck is still quacking his (or maybe her -- not sure) spiel on the TV airwaves hawking insurance.
And some dude from a Duck Dynasty currently finds himself in hot water for some alleged homophobic slurs. Those kind of ducks have dynasties? Really? Yeah, OK, I get it that a few hicks from the bayou could become millionaires in modern day American society. After all, things turned out pretty well for Jed Clampett when an errant shot from his trusty squirrel gun resulted in the bubbling crude. This from a guy that could supposedly shoot the eye out of a fly from 100 yards, but he missed a critter at close range. And closely watch the background intro scene to the show again, if you get a chance. Whoever heard of a mountain man's dog being guy shy? Old Blue, or whatever his name was, jumped liked he'd been tased when that critter gun went off. Somehow, that just ain't right.
We've long had politicians ducking questions every which way. Quack, quack, quack. Anything but the truth. Maybe they should be selling insurance while real ducks take their places in office. Nothing would get done, you say, while the ducks pooped all over everything and continued to squawk their own unintelligible language? Welcome to the world of American politics, but at least the ducks would do the same thing for chicken feed instead of costing the tax-payers a ton of money. And forget about all those first-class private jet accommodations that cost a fortune. Ducks can fly themselves for free. Hmm. I'm starting to like this idea about a Duck party in Washington.
But this is supposed to be about sports. Methinks there should be a few head-coaching sitting ducks in the NFL, but it all depends on what team it is -- and who the owners are.
In Minnesota, head coach Leslie Frazier has been with a lot of teams over the years, including several that have made the playoffs. Leslie's done this, and Leslie's done that. But this year Leslie's team is taking on water faster than the Titanic. Will owner Zygi Wilf give Leslie the ziggy indeed at year's end, even though he owes him another year on his contract? Maybe. And whoever heard of a true viking named Leslie?
In Washington, head coach Mike Shanahan appears to be at odds with his owner Daniel Snyder. Snyder seems to favor Robert Griffin III, even though RG3 has been stinking it up all year with his play. As the head coach, Shanahan wants to be able to play the players he deems the best, perhaps including former MSU quarterback Kirk Cousins.
Just because a guy was a high draft choice making a ton of money doesn't always mean he's the most capable quarterback to lead the team now, or in the future. Sometimes they turn out to be stars. Other times, they crash and burn. It happens, and if a team is serious about winning, what should it matter how they came by a player? Some turn out to be better than others. But if and when a head coach stares down an active owner, as to who's going to have their way with the team -- betting on the owner is usually a good idea. Having rosy cheeks and a bucky beaver smile only get one so far.
And speaking of clueless owners, would somebody please explain to me how Detroit Lions' head coach Jim Schwartz, he of the 29-49 career record (.372), not only still has a job, but remains highly regarded by the Lions and their fans? Since getting blown out by the New Orleans Saints in a playoff game two years ago -- isn't this the same guy whose team turned around and tanked to the tune of a 4-12 record last year? The very one that continues to appear incapable of installing any discipline within his team (stupid penalties), or even himself (various rants)? You know, the head inmate still running the asylum as the Lions once again see another season swirling around like the water underneath your butt after you just reached behind you and pushed the lever down? That guy? And they gave him a contract extension? Unbelievable. Only in Detroit.
Schwartz should not only be a lame duck, but in any other NFL town, he'd be a sitting one for an owner that cared. Who would they bring in to replace him? Who cares? For all the "talent" the Lions and their minions keep saying they have -- they could probably hire some crackhead off the street, slap headphones on him, and THAT dude could probably average a .372 winning percentage. And, trust me, he'd more than willing to do the job for a whole lot less dough than the megabucks Schwartz continues to rake in.
Let's not forget, the Detroit Lions' has always been a graveyard for NFL head coaches. That is where they go to die. Despite the ongoing "good ole boys" network amongst other head coaches that shuffle from team to team -- no defrocked Lions head coach has gone on to assume the on field reins of another team. EVER. Sure, some have found work as a coordinator here or a broadcaster there, but once they've cycled through Detroit, they're done as head coaches. Quoth the raven -- nevermore -- and the Baltimore NFL variety of those Poe-birds put a serious crimp in the Lions' IV playoff tube just a few days ago. What once was a steady flow has been reduced to a trickle, and the Honolulu blue and silver vital signs have become very weak.
If the Lions' ownership ever briefly emerges from their own latest coma to grasp reality and mercifully put Schwartz down -- do you really think any other team would show the slightest interest in having Jimbo run their show? If so, yours truly would disagree.
He's just another duck. And when it's "open season", being a "quacky" duck is usually not a good long term career plan.
As one of the greatest minds of our time was fond of saying, "Be vewy vewy quiet". Yep, Elmer Fudd knew what he was talking about.
Though that "wascally wabbit" always eluded him, much like the Lions and being serious contenders, let alone getting to a Super Bowl, the honorable Mr. Fudd should be noted for what he indeed accomplished. He's been around since 1940, way longer than the Fords have owned the Lions, and his memory remains beloved in the minds and hearts of millions to this day.
The Fords and their half-century parade of losing head coaches? Not so beloved. Bad memories.
There's ducks, and then there's ducks. Right now, I'm ducking out of here to go watch Jeopardy! in the man cave.
Thursday, December 19, 2013
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
Go west young man? Careful....
"Go west young man" is a quote normally attributed to American author Horace Greeley. Either that, or it was first uttered by my sadistic instructor when yours truly was on his road test trying to get his driver's license. I think he was the same guy that coined the immortal phrase "3 lefts make a right", but I'm not sure. And good luck trying to keep up with all that when you're 16 years old, already nervous, and trying to navigate your way through a busy downtown area that has more one-way streets than your average partisan politician. This is not to say yours truly may be getting a bit long in the tooth, but I sometimes fondly remember the heady days of hand-cranking a car to get it to run, before those pesky electric starters came on the scene. Nosiree Bob, we didn't have to worry about dead batteries and jumper cables back in those days, because there were no such things. That's when men were men -- I tell ya. But I digress. Where was I? Oh, right. Going west.
That would appear to be a very bad idea when it comes to a couple Detroit professional sports teams, namely the Pistons and Red Wings.
In the NBA, though the Pistons sport a not-so-good 12-14 record, they currently find themselves in a tie for being the 4th best team in the entire Eastern Conference. If the regular season were to end right now, the Pistons would host a first round playoff series. But if they were in the Western Conference, they would find themselves in 12th place -- nowhere near making the playoffs.
Many in the Detroit area were all for the Detroit Red Wings finally going back to the Eastern Conference where they had always belonged, at least geographically. It never made any sense for the Wings to play more games against the likes of Edmonton, Calgary and San Jose, while ignoring historic rivalries like Toronto and Montreal. At last look the Wings sported a 15-11-9 record. Not too shabby, you say? Not so fast. It's deceiving. The Wings have played 35 games and won only 15 of them, for a .428 winning percentage. That "9" at the end of their current season tally reflects overtime and/or shootout losses. Nevertheless, again, if the regular season were to end right now, the Red Wings would find themselves tied as a 5th seed for the playoffs. But if they were still in the Western Conference, their 39 total points would land them in 10th place. Like the Pistons -- woefully out of the playoff picture.
The moral of the story? My driving instructor not withstanding, Horace Greeley likely had the right idea about going west, young men. It was the land of opportunity and manifest destiny awaited.
But when it comes to the NBA and NHL, the Pistons and Red Wings should consider themselves fortunate that they're in amongst the least of the east, rather than dueling it out in the wild west. Yeah, the Miami Heat and Indiana Pacers are formidable, and NHL playoffs will forever remain a crap shoot -- but if a team can't get to the playoffs in the first place -- then what does it matter?
Sometimes going west might not be such a good idea after all. Even back in Greeley's day, things could get downright dangerous out there. And what, pray tell, did he or that Marquis de Sade driving instructor know about playoffs anyway?
That would appear to be a very bad idea when it comes to a couple Detroit professional sports teams, namely the Pistons and Red Wings.
In the NBA, though the Pistons sport a not-so-good 12-14 record, they currently find themselves in a tie for being the 4th best team in the entire Eastern Conference. If the regular season were to end right now, the Pistons would host a first round playoff series. But if they were in the Western Conference, they would find themselves in 12th place -- nowhere near making the playoffs.
Many in the Detroit area were all for the Detroit Red Wings finally going back to the Eastern Conference where they had always belonged, at least geographically. It never made any sense for the Wings to play more games against the likes of Edmonton, Calgary and San Jose, while ignoring historic rivalries like Toronto and Montreal. At last look the Wings sported a 15-11-9 record. Not too shabby, you say? Not so fast. It's deceiving. The Wings have played 35 games and won only 15 of them, for a .428 winning percentage. That "9" at the end of their current season tally reflects overtime and/or shootout losses. Nevertheless, again, if the regular season were to end right now, the Red Wings would find themselves tied as a 5th seed for the playoffs. But if they were still in the Western Conference, their 39 total points would land them in 10th place. Like the Pistons -- woefully out of the playoff picture.
The moral of the story? My driving instructor not withstanding, Horace Greeley likely had the right idea about going west, young men. It was the land of opportunity and manifest destiny awaited.
But when it comes to the NBA and NHL, the Pistons and Red Wings should consider themselves fortunate that they're in amongst the least of the east, rather than dueling it out in the wild west. Yeah, the Miami Heat and Indiana Pacers are formidable, and NHL playoffs will forever remain a crap shoot -- but if a team can't get to the playoffs in the first place -- then what does it matter?
Sometimes going west might not be such a good idea after all. Even back in Greeley's day, things could get downright dangerous out there. And what, pray tell, did he or that Marquis de Sade driving instructor know about playoffs anyway?
The Detroit Lions. Hah!
Idle thought: The Detroit Lions belong to the National Football League -- as in nation-wide -- as in all it's teams are located in the United States. The NFL's logo itself is red, white, and blue. See the Lions owned by the Ford family, they of the blue oval automotive giant. See the game played on Monday night at Ford Field in front of a national TV audience. After 30 minutes of action see the --- Toyota halftime show?? Excuse me, but am I the only one that thinks something is seriously wrong with this picture?
The Lions and their fans have boasted of their "talent" for the last few years, but yours truly still maintains most of it is, at best, wishful thinking -- and at worst being oblivious to the bigger picture.
Amongst other gaudy personal stats, see Calvin Megatron Johnson likely to become the first NFLer ever to rack up 5000 cumulative receiving yards in any 3 consecutive seasons. The dude is seemingly unstoppable. But see Calvin Johnson's history. While at Georgia Tech (2004-2006), his team not only never won squat, but was racked with various scandals. On to the Lions. Since 2007, the Lions' record is 36-74, for a winning % of about .327. Now the 327 was a mighty fine small block engine that Chevy manufactured in years past, but Johnson plays for the Fords, and losing roughly 2 out of every 3 games for the last 7 years isn't exactly impressive in a team sort of way, ya know?
See quarterback Matthew Stafford likely get his name into the record books as well with the 5000 yard passing seasons he's racking up. That's a whole bunch of airing it out, mostly because the Lions haven't had a running game and had no choice, but it hasn't equated to team success. Like Johnson, Stafford's a big-time career loser since he came to Detroit. There's no denying that. The win-loss record speaks for itself.
But back to the Baltimore/Detroit game. For all his brilliance at times -- see Calvin Johnson come down with a nasty case of the Pettigrew syndrome. Such symptoms entail a receiver having a perfectly thrown ball hit him right in the hands when they're wide open -- and then they drop it -- for no apparent reason.
It was almost eerily predictable. Baltimore didn't do anything special, although their place kicker nailing a 61 yard field goal toward the end of the game was fairly impressive. The Ravens never even scored a touchdown. Mostly, they just hung around, stayed within striking distance, and waited for Detroit to make mistakes. After all, the Lions had committed 12 turnovers during their last 4 games. Throw in the usual assortment of anticipated Lions' bone-head penalties, like jumping offsides on critical plays, and committing personal fouls, which continues to reflect a total lack of team discipline -- and yours truly has little doubt the Ravens hit the Motor City thinking they had a pretty good shot of walking away with a win. And so they did.
The most cruelly ironic part of it? In the waning seconds, the Lions still had a shot to pull it out. All they needed was a field goal of their own. But Matthew Stafford choked again under pressure, and horribly overthrew a pass. Right into the arms of -- guess who? The very same safety Matt Elam that the Detroit media had tried to use as fodder for daring to say he thought Calvin Johnson was a "little old". After the game, 22-year-old Elam strutted off the field. Poor Calvin, at the ripe old age of 28, had his head down and slowly trudged off. So who had the last laugh indeed?
Early Sunday morning, the Detroit Lions were in first place in the NFC north division on cruise control into the playoffs. A day and a half later, they currently find themselves in third, and in very real danger of missing the playoffs entirely. It might just be the Fords have noticed this -- but I wouldn't bet on that either. Maybe they'll tack on another 5 or 10 years to head coach Jim Schwartz's contract. Sounds like business as usual in the wacky world of the Lions.
Yours truly was the hardest of a hard core Lions fan for many many years. But when Barry Sanders walked back in the late 90s, certainly leaving umpteen million dollars on the table, and likely the all-time rushing record behind as well, because he didn't see the Lions being successful any year soon -- I walked with him. It turned out Barry was exactly right about that. Good enough for him -- good enough for me too. Barry still had his health and enough money in the bank to be comfortable for the rest of his life. I have a few bucks in the bank, but if I'd have continued my same rabid pursuit of the Lions for the last 15 years -- my filing for chapter something or other in bankruptcy court would be old news by now. It's kind of nice knowing I can still go to an ATM and get a few bucks once in a while. And hey, yours truly has been known to drink a beer here and there as well. What's the better deal? Catching a case on sale at the local CVS for $14.99 for 24 doses of the real stuff -- or driving all the way to Ford Field and spend more than that for two glasses of watered down swill -- only to watch a team I already know is ultimately destined to lose anyway?
Walking away from the Lions made sense to me back in the Clinton years, and I dare anyone to convince me it hasn't proven to be a prudent decision through Bush and Obama. I'm countless thousands of dollars ahead of where I would have been, had I not kicked the koolaid, not to mention avoiding all the hand-wringing and mental anguish the Lions continue to bring to their fans every year. Up, up, up goes the hype -- down, down, down comes the inevitable crash. It happens every year. One would think 50 years in a row would be convincing enough, but I guess not for some.
Nevertheless, to each their own. Yet some Lions fans might want to consider a famous poem that comes to mind. With apologies to Ernest Thayer----
No matter how many times one reads Thayer's classic verses of Casey at the Bat, like the Lions, the ending is always going to be the same. A downer. Trust me, life is a lot simpler and more fun once one learns to stop taking the puddy tats so seriously. Those clowns aren't going anywhere this year, or next year, or any year soon. Just kick back and enjoy the folly. Because c'mon. Down deep, even you remaining hard cores KNOW it's going to happen before the season is over. And saving a bunch of C-notes along the way, whether at the games themselves or paying 3-4 bucks a beer at a sports bar ain't such a bad idea either. If you just HAVE to watch them, do yourself a favor and watch it at home. But let there be no doubt. Though coaches and players have come and gone, IT'S THE SAME OLD LIONS.
Then you might find out there's more important things in life. Like CVS running a buy one-- get one thing on Stroh's ice cream. Stroh's ice cream is really good stuff. And the last time I was in that store, those $14.99 cases of brew were stacked up right across the aisle from the freezer.
Perfect. So I'll hit the ATM first and draw out a few Jacksons that I saved on the Lions, then go on a health food mission. A man has to have his priorities straight, you know.
The Lions and their fans have boasted of their "talent" for the last few years, but yours truly still maintains most of it is, at best, wishful thinking -- and at worst being oblivious to the bigger picture.
Amongst other gaudy personal stats, see Calvin Megatron Johnson likely to become the first NFLer ever to rack up 5000 cumulative receiving yards in any 3 consecutive seasons. The dude is seemingly unstoppable. But see Calvin Johnson's history. While at Georgia Tech (2004-2006), his team not only never won squat, but was racked with various scandals. On to the Lions. Since 2007, the Lions' record is 36-74, for a winning % of about .327. Now the 327 was a mighty fine small block engine that Chevy manufactured in years past, but Johnson plays for the Fords, and losing roughly 2 out of every 3 games for the last 7 years isn't exactly impressive in a team sort of way, ya know?
See quarterback Matthew Stafford likely get his name into the record books as well with the 5000 yard passing seasons he's racking up. That's a whole bunch of airing it out, mostly because the Lions haven't had a running game and had no choice, but it hasn't equated to team success. Like Johnson, Stafford's a big-time career loser since he came to Detroit. There's no denying that. The win-loss record speaks for itself.
But back to the Baltimore/Detroit game. For all his brilliance at times -- see Calvin Johnson come down with a nasty case of the Pettigrew syndrome. Such symptoms entail a receiver having a perfectly thrown ball hit him right in the hands when they're wide open -- and then they drop it -- for no apparent reason.
It was almost eerily predictable. Baltimore didn't do anything special, although their place kicker nailing a 61 yard field goal toward the end of the game was fairly impressive. The Ravens never even scored a touchdown. Mostly, they just hung around, stayed within striking distance, and waited for Detroit to make mistakes. After all, the Lions had committed 12 turnovers during their last 4 games. Throw in the usual assortment of anticipated Lions' bone-head penalties, like jumping offsides on critical plays, and committing personal fouls, which continues to reflect a total lack of team discipline -- and yours truly has little doubt the Ravens hit the Motor City thinking they had a pretty good shot of walking away with a win. And so they did.
The most cruelly ironic part of it? In the waning seconds, the Lions still had a shot to pull it out. All they needed was a field goal of their own. But Matthew Stafford choked again under pressure, and horribly overthrew a pass. Right into the arms of -- guess who? The very same safety Matt Elam that the Detroit media had tried to use as fodder for daring to say he thought Calvin Johnson was a "little old". After the game, 22-year-old Elam strutted off the field. Poor Calvin, at the ripe old age of 28, had his head down and slowly trudged off. So who had the last laugh indeed?
Early Sunday morning, the Detroit Lions were in first place in the NFC north division on cruise control into the playoffs. A day and a half later, they currently find themselves in third, and in very real danger of missing the playoffs entirely. It might just be the Fords have noticed this -- but I wouldn't bet on that either. Maybe they'll tack on another 5 or 10 years to head coach Jim Schwartz's contract. Sounds like business as usual in the wacky world of the Lions.
Yours truly was the hardest of a hard core Lions fan for many many years. But when Barry Sanders walked back in the late 90s, certainly leaving umpteen million dollars on the table, and likely the all-time rushing record behind as well, because he didn't see the Lions being successful any year soon -- I walked with him. It turned out Barry was exactly right about that. Good enough for him -- good enough for me too. Barry still had his health and enough money in the bank to be comfortable for the rest of his life. I have a few bucks in the bank, but if I'd have continued my same rabid pursuit of the Lions for the last 15 years -- my filing for chapter something or other in bankruptcy court would be old news by now. It's kind of nice knowing I can still go to an ATM and get a few bucks once in a while. And hey, yours truly has been known to drink a beer here and there as well. What's the better deal? Catching a case on sale at the local CVS for $14.99 for 24 doses of the real stuff -- or driving all the way to Ford Field and spend more than that for two glasses of watered down swill -- only to watch a team I already know is ultimately destined to lose anyway?
Walking away from the Lions made sense to me back in the Clinton years, and I dare anyone to convince me it hasn't proven to be a prudent decision through Bush and Obama. I'm countless thousands of dollars ahead of where I would have been, had I not kicked the koolaid, not to mention avoiding all the hand-wringing and mental anguish the Lions continue to bring to their fans every year. Up, up, up goes the hype -- down, down, down comes the inevitable crash. It happens every year. One would think 50 years in a row would be convincing enough, but I guess not for some.
Nevertheless, to each their own. Yet some Lions fans might want to consider a famous poem that comes to mind. With apologies to Ernest Thayer----
Oh, somewhere in this
favored land the sun is shining bright;
The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light,
And somewhere men are laughing, and somewhere children shout;
But there is no joy in Mudville - mighty Casey has struck out.
The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light,
And somewhere men are laughing, and somewhere children shout;
But there is no joy in Mudville - mighty Casey has struck out.
Then you might find out there's more important things in life. Like CVS running a buy one-- get one thing on Stroh's ice cream. Stroh's ice cream is really good stuff. And the last time I was in that store, those $14.99 cases of brew were stacked up right across the aisle from the freezer.
Perfect. So I'll hit the ATM first and draw out a few Jacksons that I saved on the Lions, then go on a health food mission. A man has to have his priorities straight, you know.
Monday, December 16, 2013
An incredibly dumb rule
Over the last few years we've seen a lot of rules changes go into effect in the NFL. Most of these have to do with the league trying to make things safer for the players and cut down on injuries. Opinions certainly vary on how effective, much less wise they are. Even a few players themselves have come out and said the NFL has become the No Fun League.
You know what I'm talking about. No more contact "in or around the head and neck area". No more crack-back blocks. Defensive backs have to treat opposing receivers running their patterns like they're on a first date with one of Obama's daughters. Talk about a hands-off policy. Touch them and the defensive back will likely get busted for interference. Merely BREATHE on them, and they might well get flagged for "holding" them up with their halitosis. This is out of control.
But word has it Major League Baseball is considering a rule change that defies the imagination. It involves plays at the plate where a runner is barrelling home, and the catcher blocks the plate attempting to keep the runner from scoring, while also tagging him out. We've seen such collisions many times over the years and sometimes one or the other, or even both participants have been injured when the inevitable impact occurs. Though it's an infrequent happening, MLB wants to eliminate it from their game. Yours truly has just one question.....
How do they intend to do that?
True, just because something has always been a certain way doesn't necessarily mean it was right to begin with and, as times change, and various sports evolve, common sense rule changes are occasionally needed to accommodate them.
But in this case, yours truly is totally at a loss on how MLB plans to go about enforcing such a possible rule change to their game. During the course of some baseball games, this situation is going to arise. The base runner is sprinting towards home, and the throw comes in to the catcher. The catcher has the ball in his mitt, the runner is still a short distance away from home plate and ---- freeze it right there.
What's supposed to happen next?
Will the catcher be mandated to NOT block the plate and give the runner the "ole" treatment toreadors do with their red capes to the bulls? That doesn't seem right. And what if the catcher stands in there anyway and the crash occurs? Will he be thrown out of the game? And will the run count even if the runner was tagged out? That would seem to defy logic.
Or will they put the onus on the base runner and make him slide rather than barrelling over the catcher? That would seem to make more sense. But if he doesn't, and runs over the catcher anyway, will the runner be ejected and called out, even if he was safe? Rule or not, yours truly can only imagine the "rhubarbs" that would ensue with managers running onto the field as their neck veins bulged and spit started flying everywhere.
Don't get me wrong. I'm all for safety. I even fasten my seat belt these days before I drive (though I never did quite understand why they're so picky about it on airplanes. If that plane goes down, being buckled up isn't going to make any difference).
But somewhere along the line, the common sense baby seems to have been chucked out with the politically correct bathwater. In the NFL, would-be tacklers, knowing they'll get flagged and/or fined for "going high", are now "going low". Knees are getting blown up right and left. Which is the lesser of two evils is a good question, but perhaps a former NFL player put it best. When asked if he had to choose between a concussion or a serious knee injury he replied, "As a player I'd rather have had a concussion. As a man, I'd rather deal with a knee injury". It doesn't take much imagination to read between THOSE lines.
And hey, let's get real. The guys that play these sports always knew what they were getting into. Nobody made them do this. If you're good enough, you can make a boatload of money and maybe even be famous. But the possible rewards come with certain risks as well. The players not only do it willingly, the competition amongst them is ferocious to even GET to the highest levels.
Football players know they're going to get hammered every game by a lot of guys. Hockey players know they're going to get cut and maybe even lose a few teeth along the way. And MLB catchers knew there might come a time when they would get bulldozed while protecting the plate. Heck, for that matter, yours truly continues to slave away under the proverbial sword of Damacles, knowing full well the boss/editor might jump in any day now and communicate something to me like, "I have no idea why I keep putting up with you". Or even worse, the dreaded, "we need to talk". I hate it when that happens.
Nevertheless, talented people do such things because they want to. In the end, if something bad happens, they knew the risk and reward factor going in, but did it anyway.
And that's just sort of the way it goes. Even if it was possible, removing all the risks likely equates to removing all the entertainment value as well.
Some things are supposed to be inherently dangerous. The world of sports is vastly different from, say, quilting bees or dinner at grandma's house. There's a reason fans pony up big bucks to see race cars flying around a track at 200 MPH, the violence that goes with the NFL/NHL, catchers getting knocked into next week, or editors recruit lunatics such as myself to write for them.
You never know what's going to happen next.
And I, for one, think it's all a lot more fun that way.
You know what I'm talking about. No more contact "in or around the head and neck area". No more crack-back blocks. Defensive backs have to treat opposing receivers running their patterns like they're on a first date with one of Obama's daughters. Talk about a hands-off policy. Touch them and the defensive back will likely get busted for interference. Merely BREATHE on them, and they might well get flagged for "holding" them up with their halitosis. This is out of control.
But word has it Major League Baseball is considering a rule change that defies the imagination. It involves plays at the plate where a runner is barrelling home, and the catcher blocks the plate attempting to keep the runner from scoring, while also tagging him out. We've seen such collisions many times over the years and sometimes one or the other, or even both participants have been injured when the inevitable impact occurs. Though it's an infrequent happening, MLB wants to eliminate it from their game. Yours truly has just one question.....
How do they intend to do that?
True, just because something has always been a certain way doesn't necessarily mean it was right to begin with and, as times change, and various sports evolve, common sense rule changes are occasionally needed to accommodate them.
But in this case, yours truly is totally at a loss on how MLB plans to go about enforcing such a possible rule change to their game. During the course of some baseball games, this situation is going to arise. The base runner is sprinting towards home, and the throw comes in to the catcher. The catcher has the ball in his mitt, the runner is still a short distance away from home plate and ---- freeze it right there.
What's supposed to happen next?
Will the catcher be mandated to NOT block the plate and give the runner the "ole" treatment toreadors do with their red capes to the bulls? That doesn't seem right. And what if the catcher stands in there anyway and the crash occurs? Will he be thrown out of the game? And will the run count even if the runner was tagged out? That would seem to defy logic.
Or will they put the onus on the base runner and make him slide rather than barrelling over the catcher? That would seem to make more sense. But if he doesn't, and runs over the catcher anyway, will the runner be ejected and called out, even if he was safe? Rule or not, yours truly can only imagine the "rhubarbs" that would ensue with managers running onto the field as their neck veins bulged and spit started flying everywhere.
Don't get me wrong. I'm all for safety. I even fasten my seat belt these days before I drive (though I never did quite understand why they're so picky about it on airplanes. If that plane goes down, being buckled up isn't going to make any difference).
But somewhere along the line, the common sense baby seems to have been chucked out with the politically correct bathwater. In the NFL, would-be tacklers, knowing they'll get flagged and/or fined for "going high", are now "going low". Knees are getting blown up right and left. Which is the lesser of two evils is a good question, but perhaps a former NFL player put it best. When asked if he had to choose between a concussion or a serious knee injury he replied, "As a player I'd rather have had a concussion. As a man, I'd rather deal with a knee injury". It doesn't take much imagination to read between THOSE lines.
And hey, let's get real. The guys that play these sports always knew what they were getting into. Nobody made them do this. If you're good enough, you can make a boatload of money and maybe even be famous. But the possible rewards come with certain risks as well. The players not only do it willingly, the competition amongst them is ferocious to even GET to the highest levels.
Football players know they're going to get hammered every game by a lot of guys. Hockey players know they're going to get cut and maybe even lose a few teeth along the way. And MLB catchers knew there might come a time when they would get bulldozed while protecting the plate. Heck, for that matter, yours truly continues to slave away under the proverbial sword of Damacles, knowing full well the boss/editor might jump in any day now and communicate something to me like, "I have no idea why I keep putting up with you". Or even worse, the dreaded, "we need to talk". I hate it when that happens.
Nevertheless, talented people do such things because they want to. In the end, if something bad happens, they knew the risk and reward factor going in, but did it anyway.
And that's just sort of the way it goes. Even if it was possible, removing all the risks likely equates to removing all the entertainment value as well.
Some things are supposed to be inherently dangerous. The world of sports is vastly different from, say, quilting bees or dinner at grandma's house. There's a reason fans pony up big bucks to see race cars flying around a track at 200 MPH, the violence that goes with the NFL/NHL, catchers getting knocked into next week, or editors recruit lunatics such as myself to write for them.
You never know what's going to happen next.
And I, for one, think it's all a lot more fun that way.
Sunday, December 15, 2013
More assorted rants
The Army-Navy game. Why did I see a couple guys amongst the cadets and midshipmen in the stands with 3 stripes on their sleeves? Do the future shave tails and ensign Parkers (see Mchale's Navy) really need drill instructors to keep them in line while they're watching a football game? It's bad enough those poor students aren't allowed to sit down all day. The last thing they need is a few Sergeant Carters (see Gomer Pyle) barking stupid orders at them. Left face. Right face. Drop and give me 20. Shut up. It's a football game. Let the kids have at least a few hours of fun.
Congrats to Jameis Winston of Florida State on winning this year's Heisman trophy. A worthy selection indeed. But something not so funny happened along the way. I'm not talking about some crime he was rumored to have maybe committed a year ago. All that speculation by the typical knee-jerkers that, once they hear an allegation, despite the lack of evidence, think everybody is guilty, and the resulting legal mumbo-jumbo has been resolved. It's over. Winston remains innocent. No, something more sinister was obviously afoot.
Though Winston won by a huge margin, it is interesting to note that of the 900 voters that could cast Heisman ballots, while voting for 1st,2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th place, etc., a full 115 of them left Winston off their ballots entirely. Now there's no way these people could justify Winston not being amongst the top 5 college football players this past year. In other words, it was not an oversight on their part. They did this on purpose. Why? Because in their closed little minds, they still think a vague allegation is the equivalent of a conviction. And that's not only wrong -- it should be offensive to a society that considers itself even civilized, let alone open, impartial, and objective. These folks more likely belong voting in political primaries -- not on coveted sports awards. The Gang of 115 should have their voting credentials revoked, to be replaced by knowledgeable football people that can not only see straight -- but not be hindered by tunnel-vision blinders of their own making. In other words, we need new blood voting on an old award. The kind of people that are willing to look around and see the whole picture, rather than being obsessed with their own personal agendas -- which indeed oftentimes turn out to have no basis in fact.
Much Ado About Nothing Dept. The Detroit Lions square off against the Baltimore Ravens on Monday night. Some Baltimore safety named Matt Elam let slip the remark that Lions' receiver Calvin Johnson was "pretty old". And oh my, did some Detroit area scribes run with that one. Nevermind that Johnson did, and continues to play it down as no big deal -- some scribes appear hell-bent on trying to start a fire with whatever scant kindling they can scrape up. In their desperation -- is this what it's come to in Detroit? The little yappy dogs attempting to get the big dogs riled up -- so the chihuahuas can sit back and write about how the pit bulls are tearing each other limb from limb on the field? Hey. Here's a clue. Stop with all the the "your mom wears army boots" 1st grade stuff. These guys are professionals. They study and practice all week long to prepare for their next opponents. Once the game starts, do you really think they care about what a player on the opposing team may have said a few days before? If that's still in their heads, they don't have them screwed on straight and will likely get beat.
Besides, Elam's 22. In his eyes, Calvin Johnson at 28, IS old. That's just the way fearless young kids think. And it's not like Elam came out and said he'd shut down the Megatron to zero catches and zero yards. He's a safety, not a cornerback. Johnson himself said the only time he would see Elam is when he runs by him going down the field. In and of itself, that's a little a cocky as well. Johnson might indeed run by him a couple times on the way to the end zone but, then again, Elam might just bust the Megatron's chops coming over the middle and send him limping off. Don't think for a second Elam isn't aware of how he's been played as a fool by some Detroit area scribes. Look at it this way. He's a starting safety on the defending Super Bowl champions for a reason. That means he's pretty good too. Unlike Calvin Johnson, a seasoned veteran who knows better, a young safety like Elam just might have it in the back of his mind somewhere that, if given the opportunity, he'll go out of his way to make a devastating hit on Johnson -- just to make a statement on MNF -- however misguided that may be. And if that happens -- guess where a large part of the fault should lie?
With the yappy little media dogs in Detroit that fanned the flames in the first place. Like the Lions' long-time starting center, and a certain receiver that can't stay healthy, must less be productive, they continue to bark away trying to get attention. Hey, HEY, HEY -- look at me, they continue to blather on. What they fail to comprehend is they also continue to be losers, and nobody outside the inner koolaid addicted circle much cares. They see it for what it is.
Maybe the Lions beat the Ravens on Monday night, and maybe not. Last time I looked, the puddy-tats were a 6 point favorite. Both teams come in with 7-6 records and playoff implications are definitely at stake. Baltimore started off the season bad, but has since gotten on a roll. Detroit started off the season fairly well, but has stumbled of late. Who will win this game? Beats me. One never knows which Lions will show up.
Well OK then. Glad I got those rants off my chest. On to the dumbest rule change I ever heard of --- next time. Working......
Congrats to Jameis Winston of Florida State on winning this year's Heisman trophy. A worthy selection indeed. But something not so funny happened along the way. I'm not talking about some crime he was rumored to have maybe committed a year ago. All that speculation by the typical knee-jerkers that, once they hear an allegation, despite the lack of evidence, think everybody is guilty, and the resulting legal mumbo-jumbo has been resolved. It's over. Winston remains innocent. No, something more sinister was obviously afoot.
Though Winston won by a huge margin, it is interesting to note that of the 900 voters that could cast Heisman ballots, while voting for 1st,2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th place, etc., a full 115 of them left Winston off their ballots entirely. Now there's no way these people could justify Winston not being amongst the top 5 college football players this past year. In other words, it was not an oversight on their part. They did this on purpose. Why? Because in their closed little minds, they still think a vague allegation is the equivalent of a conviction. And that's not only wrong -- it should be offensive to a society that considers itself even civilized, let alone open, impartial, and objective. These folks more likely belong voting in political primaries -- not on coveted sports awards. The Gang of 115 should have their voting credentials revoked, to be replaced by knowledgeable football people that can not only see straight -- but not be hindered by tunnel-vision blinders of their own making. In other words, we need new blood voting on an old award. The kind of people that are willing to look around and see the whole picture, rather than being obsessed with their own personal agendas -- which indeed oftentimes turn out to have no basis in fact.
Much Ado About Nothing Dept. The Detroit Lions square off against the Baltimore Ravens on Monday night. Some Baltimore safety named Matt Elam let slip the remark that Lions' receiver Calvin Johnson was "pretty old". And oh my, did some Detroit area scribes run with that one. Nevermind that Johnson did, and continues to play it down as no big deal -- some scribes appear hell-bent on trying to start a fire with whatever scant kindling they can scrape up. In their desperation -- is this what it's come to in Detroit? The little yappy dogs attempting to get the big dogs riled up -- so the chihuahuas can sit back and write about how the pit bulls are tearing each other limb from limb on the field? Hey. Here's a clue. Stop with all the the "your mom wears army boots" 1st grade stuff. These guys are professionals. They study and practice all week long to prepare for their next opponents. Once the game starts, do you really think they care about what a player on the opposing team may have said a few days before? If that's still in their heads, they don't have them screwed on straight and will likely get beat.
Besides, Elam's 22. In his eyes, Calvin Johnson at 28, IS old. That's just the way fearless young kids think. And it's not like Elam came out and said he'd shut down the Megatron to zero catches and zero yards. He's a safety, not a cornerback. Johnson himself said the only time he would see Elam is when he runs by him going down the field. In and of itself, that's a little a cocky as well. Johnson might indeed run by him a couple times on the way to the end zone but, then again, Elam might just bust the Megatron's chops coming over the middle and send him limping off. Don't think for a second Elam isn't aware of how he's been played as a fool by some Detroit area scribes. Look at it this way. He's a starting safety on the defending Super Bowl champions for a reason. That means he's pretty good too. Unlike Calvin Johnson, a seasoned veteran who knows better, a young safety like Elam just might have it in the back of his mind somewhere that, if given the opportunity, he'll go out of his way to make a devastating hit on Johnson -- just to make a statement on MNF -- however misguided that may be. And if that happens -- guess where a large part of the fault should lie?
With the yappy little media dogs in Detroit that fanned the flames in the first place. Like the Lions' long-time starting center, and a certain receiver that can't stay healthy, must less be productive, they continue to bark away trying to get attention. Hey, HEY, HEY -- look at me, they continue to blather on. What they fail to comprehend is they also continue to be losers, and nobody outside the inner koolaid addicted circle much cares. They see it for what it is.
Maybe the Lions beat the Ravens on Monday night, and maybe not. Last time I looked, the puddy-tats were a 6 point favorite. Both teams come in with 7-6 records and playoff implications are definitely at stake. Baltimore started off the season bad, but has since gotten on a roll. Detroit started off the season fairly well, but has stumbled of late. Who will win this game? Beats me. One never knows which Lions will show up.
Well OK then. Glad I got those rants off my chest. On to the dumbest rule change I ever heard of --- next time. Working......
Saturday, December 14, 2013
Time-outs, fouls, and horsepuckey
Ever wonder why the last "two minutes" of some basketball games can drag on for a half hour, or more? Earlier watching Kentucky finally -- FINALLY -- accept the inevitable and go down to North Carolina was the perfect example.
There's a couple obvious reasons why such nonsense continues to happen, and one maybe not so obvious.
First, each team has 5 time-outs per half. That's a grand total of 20 -- count em -- TWENTY time-outs that can be used during the course of a game -- and often every last one of them is. Throw in the usual assortment of mandatory "commercial breaks", whereby the athletic participants have to bow down to the TV gods, and it comes as no surprise a game that should take roughly two hours sometimes stretches into 3 or more. Horsepuckey.
Second, any hoops fan has no doubt noticed that when a team is behind towards the end of a game, in desperation they will foul the players on the other team, sending them to the free throw line. This is in the hope the free-throw shooter will miss, the trailing team will quickly run down the floor to score 2 or 3 points, and then they'll do it again. And again. In the meantime, while the game clock has wound down maybe 20 seconds, the big hand on your wall clock has made a half orbit. Twenty seconds of game time has just become a half hour of real time. Horsepuckey.
Further, when these situations happen, players that would not normally be on the floor for the trailing team are put out there to commit these fouls, because they have them "to give". Of course, after such fouls are committed, the subs get rotated back off the floor, because, yep, there's yet another break in the action, which enables the coach of the losing team to bring his best players back in. Another time-out is usually called by one coach or the other, we'll see a few more commercials, and the big hand rotates another 45 degrees. Horsepuckey.
Only in basketball does this nonsense happen. Look around. In football, both teams get 3 time-outs per half. Granted, even those are too many, and we've often seen them used for frivolous reasons while the fans are the ones abused. I say cut them down to two time-outs and let's see how that works.
Obviously, baseball has built-in timeouts. At least 17 of them, as the teams rotate on and off the field every half inning. But that's just the nature of the game. Still, they're guilty of stall tactics as well sometimes. Case in point: See a pitching coach head to the mound to "talk" with a pitcher that's being lit up. See the infielders assemble on the mound -- as if they can do a damn thing to stop the other guys from banging the ball all over the park against their pitching teammate. They don't know anything about pitching. Yet they'll all stay huddled up on the mound accomplishing nothing until the home plate umpire walks out and tells them to break it up. We have a game to play here, fellas. Let's go.
And after all of that -- what typically happens next? Here comes the manager to change pitchers. That manager knew damn good and well that pitcher had thrown his last pitch -- so why wasn't he out there in the first place to yank him? A reliever in the bullpen needed time to warm up? Shut up. The guys in the bullpen -- all of them -- should be warmed up and ready to go from the first inning on. What else do they have to do out there? Play cards? Text their girlfriends? These guys are making millions. The least they can do is to be ready to actually, gasp, participate whenever they're called on. More horsepuckey.
Hockey has it right. Each team gets one time-out per game. Period. Many times they won't even use it. Now that's more like it.
But back to where this all started. Basketball, and the way they continue to drag games on and on. There's a couple ways to fix this.
In the last two minutes of a game, when a trailing team is already over the foul limit, and decide to foul anyway out of desperation -- let the other team not only have two uncontested free throws, ala technical foul shots, but retain possession of the ball. The current time-consuming horsepuckey would stop.
And ferchrissakes -- 20 time-outs, on top of the TV time-outs is TOTAL horsepuckey. Who do these guys think they are dragging things on this long while the people that are paying for it all twist in the wind? Congress? And how's their approval rating lately?
Cut them back down to 3 apiece per game and let's see how that works out as well. Six beats the hell out of 20. And maybe a few of the unfortunate souls that continue to actually die while all the current horsepuckey is dragging on -- will get to see the end of the game they tuned into. Whether their team wins or loses -- at least they had some closure before they met their maker. How can that not be a good thing? This purgatory horsepuckey needs to stop.
Oh yeah, almost forgot. The not so obvious thing mentioned above? It's all about the money, of course. More time-outs mean more commercials, which means more cha-chings for a lot of folks. Did I mention the TV gods?
If you're good with that -- fine. Enjoy the ducks, lizards, and washed-up actors hawking everything from insurance to credit cards.
But some of us would much rather see how the game turned out before we die.
There's a couple obvious reasons why such nonsense continues to happen, and one maybe not so obvious.
First, each team has 5 time-outs per half. That's a grand total of 20 -- count em -- TWENTY time-outs that can be used during the course of a game -- and often every last one of them is. Throw in the usual assortment of mandatory "commercial breaks", whereby the athletic participants have to bow down to the TV gods, and it comes as no surprise a game that should take roughly two hours sometimes stretches into 3 or more. Horsepuckey.
Second, any hoops fan has no doubt noticed that when a team is behind towards the end of a game, in desperation they will foul the players on the other team, sending them to the free throw line. This is in the hope the free-throw shooter will miss, the trailing team will quickly run down the floor to score 2 or 3 points, and then they'll do it again. And again. In the meantime, while the game clock has wound down maybe 20 seconds, the big hand on your wall clock has made a half orbit. Twenty seconds of game time has just become a half hour of real time. Horsepuckey.
Further, when these situations happen, players that would not normally be on the floor for the trailing team are put out there to commit these fouls, because they have them "to give". Of course, after such fouls are committed, the subs get rotated back off the floor, because, yep, there's yet another break in the action, which enables the coach of the losing team to bring his best players back in. Another time-out is usually called by one coach or the other, we'll see a few more commercials, and the big hand rotates another 45 degrees. Horsepuckey.
Only in basketball does this nonsense happen. Look around. In football, both teams get 3 time-outs per half. Granted, even those are too many, and we've often seen them used for frivolous reasons while the fans are the ones abused. I say cut them down to two time-outs and let's see how that works.
Obviously, baseball has built-in timeouts. At least 17 of them, as the teams rotate on and off the field every half inning. But that's just the nature of the game. Still, they're guilty of stall tactics as well sometimes. Case in point: See a pitching coach head to the mound to "talk" with a pitcher that's being lit up. See the infielders assemble on the mound -- as if they can do a damn thing to stop the other guys from banging the ball all over the park against their pitching teammate. They don't know anything about pitching. Yet they'll all stay huddled up on the mound accomplishing nothing until the home plate umpire walks out and tells them to break it up. We have a game to play here, fellas. Let's go.
And after all of that -- what typically happens next? Here comes the manager to change pitchers. That manager knew damn good and well that pitcher had thrown his last pitch -- so why wasn't he out there in the first place to yank him? A reliever in the bullpen needed time to warm up? Shut up. The guys in the bullpen -- all of them -- should be warmed up and ready to go from the first inning on. What else do they have to do out there? Play cards? Text their girlfriends? These guys are making millions. The least they can do is to be ready to actually, gasp, participate whenever they're called on. More horsepuckey.
Hockey has it right. Each team gets one time-out per game. Period. Many times they won't even use it. Now that's more like it.
But back to where this all started. Basketball, and the way they continue to drag games on and on. There's a couple ways to fix this.
In the last two minutes of a game, when a trailing team is already over the foul limit, and decide to foul anyway out of desperation -- let the other team not only have two uncontested free throws, ala technical foul shots, but retain possession of the ball. The current time-consuming horsepuckey would stop.
And ferchrissakes -- 20 time-outs, on top of the TV time-outs is TOTAL horsepuckey. Who do these guys think they are dragging things on this long while the people that are paying for it all twist in the wind? Congress? And how's their approval rating lately?
Cut them back down to 3 apiece per game and let's see how that works out as well. Six beats the hell out of 20. And maybe a few of the unfortunate souls that continue to actually die while all the current horsepuckey is dragging on -- will get to see the end of the game they tuned into. Whether their team wins or loses -- at least they had some closure before they met their maker. How can that not be a good thing? This purgatory horsepuckey needs to stop.
Oh yeah, almost forgot. The not so obvious thing mentioned above? It's all about the money, of course. More time-outs mean more commercials, which means more cha-chings for a lot of folks. Did I mention the TV gods?
If you're good with that -- fine. Enjoy the ducks, lizards, and washed-up actors hawking everything from insurance to credit cards.
But some of us would much rather see how the game turned out before we die.
Friday, December 13, 2013
Lamar Odom and Khloe K
It appears another "celebrity", and I use that term loosely, marriage is about to bite the dust. No big suprise there. Somewhere in la-la land, the glitter folks with way too many dollars and not nearly enough sense, seem to break up every -- well -- what time is it? Doesn't matter. Before the big hand goes around on the wall clock again, chances are good another such break-up will come along, and it will be big news to some. Personally, yours truly can normally sum up his reaction to such things in one word -- yawn. Or perhaps another five word phrase would be more appropriate. Who gives a rat's ass?
But this time I happened to read an on-line blurb about the imminent spousal demise of Lamar and Khloe, and besides finding it comical, yours truly got an urge to write about it. There's that, and I couldn't think of anything else. Soooooo, onward with even more stupidity, by my own hand.
Lamar Odom has been an NBA basketball player from 1999 to the present. He's earned millions and millions of dollars during his tenure with a few different teams over that period of time. While with the LA Lakers, he even hoisted a couple world championships. His last stop was where he started -- with the LA Clippers, who aren't too shabby themselves these days. Though now a free agent, Odom's only 34, and claims to be staying in shape hoping another team will give him a call. Could happen. The dude's 6-10, and he's been there, done that at the highest levels of the game. During the course of a long NBA season, with the usual assortment of injuries likely occurring, it's not much of a stretch to imagine some team might suddenly find the services of Odom to be attractive. And he'd get paid more millions.
On the other hand, his soon to be ex-wife Khloe Kardashian has carved out her niche in the annals (yes, that last word is spelled correctly -- two ens -- though a good case could be made for only one... hmmm, nevermind) of American lore by -- well -- that would seem to be a good question. A couple reality shows with her sisters? I tuned into one of those once called Keeping Up With the Kardashians. When it was mercifully over, yours truly thought it would be much more interesting, not to mention intellectually challenging, trying to keep up with the weeds that have a way of sprouting up in the garden. And if weeds could talk, scary thought, I have a strong hunch those conversations would be a lot more stimulating than what I saw on that show.
Like the Manchurian Candidate, and a few boy/girl bands that have been thrown together over the years, the K girls seem to be without any substance. A money-making creation by the powers-that-be, to prey on those of even feebler minds. Throw in the ever-present libido factor amongst the masses that will forever think with the wrong heads, and presto -- stars are born. It doesn't make any sense, yet it's very real. Pitiful, but real. But I digress.
Thing is, it appears Khloe won't be asking for any spousal support (as in a major cha-ching) from Lamar. Well, bless her little Armenian heart for small favors. Like him or not for personal reasons, Lamar Odom has pounded his way up and down NBA basketball courts for 14 years earning his money. As one of the K girls, his soon-to-be ex can claim exactly what? Besides the moronic reality shows -- having a fake sun tan product, a perfume, and a failed line of clothing in their names? And do you really think for one second anybody in that family had anything to do with mixing the chemicals or designing the outfits that they put their names on? Puh-leeze.
Lamar Odom may or may not find his way back onto an NBA basketball team somewhere. At 34, he's not exactly a youngster, but he's no geezer either. There's a lot of guys still playing at a high level that are older than he is.
But methinks poor Khloe, with the dreaded 30 knocking on her door next spring, will find herself put out to pasture in the whole scheme of things sooner than Lamar.
Like they say. It's a business, right?
But this time I happened to read an on-line blurb about the imminent spousal demise of Lamar and Khloe, and besides finding it comical, yours truly got an urge to write about it. There's that, and I couldn't think of anything else. Soooooo, onward with even more stupidity, by my own hand.
Lamar Odom has been an NBA basketball player from 1999 to the present. He's earned millions and millions of dollars during his tenure with a few different teams over that period of time. While with the LA Lakers, he even hoisted a couple world championships. His last stop was where he started -- with the LA Clippers, who aren't too shabby themselves these days. Though now a free agent, Odom's only 34, and claims to be staying in shape hoping another team will give him a call. Could happen. The dude's 6-10, and he's been there, done that at the highest levels of the game. During the course of a long NBA season, with the usual assortment of injuries likely occurring, it's not much of a stretch to imagine some team might suddenly find the services of Odom to be attractive. And he'd get paid more millions.
On the other hand, his soon to be ex-wife Khloe Kardashian has carved out her niche in the annals (yes, that last word is spelled correctly -- two ens -- though a good case could be made for only one... hmmm, nevermind) of American lore by -- well -- that would seem to be a good question. A couple reality shows with her sisters? I tuned into one of those once called Keeping Up With the Kardashians. When it was mercifully over, yours truly thought it would be much more interesting, not to mention intellectually challenging, trying to keep up with the weeds that have a way of sprouting up in the garden. And if weeds could talk, scary thought, I have a strong hunch those conversations would be a lot more stimulating than what I saw on that show.
Like the Manchurian Candidate, and a few boy/girl bands that have been thrown together over the years, the K girls seem to be without any substance. A money-making creation by the powers-that-be, to prey on those of even feebler minds. Throw in the ever-present libido factor amongst the masses that will forever think with the wrong heads, and presto -- stars are born. It doesn't make any sense, yet it's very real. Pitiful, but real. But I digress.
Thing is, it appears Khloe won't be asking for any spousal support (as in a major cha-ching) from Lamar. Well, bless her little Armenian heart for small favors. Like him or not for personal reasons, Lamar Odom has pounded his way up and down NBA basketball courts for 14 years earning his money. As one of the K girls, his soon-to-be ex can claim exactly what? Besides the moronic reality shows -- having a fake sun tan product, a perfume, and a failed line of clothing in their names? And do you really think for one second anybody in that family had anything to do with mixing the chemicals or designing the outfits that they put their names on? Puh-leeze.
Lamar Odom may or may not find his way back onto an NBA basketball team somewhere. At 34, he's not exactly a youngster, but he's no geezer either. There's a lot of guys still playing at a high level that are older than he is.
But methinks poor Khloe, with the dreaded 30 knocking on her door next spring, will find herself put out to pasture in the whole scheme of things sooner than Lamar.
Like they say. It's a business, right?
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