The sale of the LA Clippers has just been finalized. The NBA's board of governors (see other owners) fast-tracked this deal. Well, OF COURSE they did. If the Clippers, who have never won anything, are worth $2 billion on the open market, the values of the other franchises just went through the roof as well.
Meanwhile, former (for the time being, pending appeals) owner Donald Sterling is suing the NBA, and the league is suing him right back. Well, OF COURSE they are. This is what happens when a billionaire doesn't get his way and a rookie commissioner is trying to establish his authority. Between Sterling and Adam Silver, a case could be made they deserve each other.
Tom Watson, captain of the US Ryder Cup golf team, finds himself on the hot seat. Should he use one of his captain's picks to select Tiger Woods, even though Tiger can't seem to stay healthy and has been stinking it up on the courses when he is? Well, OF COURSE he will. Tigermania, however currently misguided, is still rampant amongst the media and his legions of groupies. While he's at it, perhaps Watson should pick Jack Nicklaus as well. If it's about former greatness -- then why not?
The Cleveland Browns recently brought in QB Rex Grossman to fill a back-up role. Well, OF COURSE they did. Johnny Manziel and Brian Hoyer are slugging it out for the starting job, and somebody's going to be "disgruntled" when they lose that battle. I smell potential trade bait. Might as well have a decent back-up that would be happy to fill the role.
After Indiana Pacer forward Paul George suffered a broken leg, team president Larry Bird said he could not be replaced. Well, OF COURSE he can. Somebody will fill that roster spot, unless Bird plans on his team playing a man short all year. Please.
Hoops fans are supposed to care whether Lebron James' or Carmelo Anthony's off-season weight loss was more impressive? Pretty please. Melo can throw up his 30 points a game, but as long as he's with the Knicks, OF COURSE he has no chance at a championship. Meanwhile, how good the Cleveland Cavaliers will be remains to be seen. New Lebron, new Kevin Love, new coach, new chemistry -- we'll see. They might even compete for the Eastern Conference title. But could they survive in the Finals against whoever comes out of the wild, and vastly superior West? OF COURSE, hmm, probably not. Something about Lebron being on a mission is difficult to totally discount.
Idle thought: I wonder if Jim Leyland, former manager of the Tigers, a Pittsburgh native, and former manager of the Pirates as well, was on hand to watch the Pirates demolish the Tigers in their short series. OF COURSE he was. What else does he have to to these days?
Tuesday, August 12, 2014
Monday, August 11, 2014
Robin Williams dead at 63. Alas
Once in a great while, yours truly takes the liberty of writing a post that is not sports related. So far, the boss, that dastardly editor, has shown lenience on such occasions. Either that, or he doesn't bother to read my tripe anymore. Regardless, this is one of those times.
Robin Williams is gone at the age of 63. Few would doubt he was amongst the most quick-witted, ad-lib impromptu hilarious people there ever was. Put Williams in a room-- any room -- under any circumstances -- and he would find a way to make people laugh.
Sure, he came to fame as the loveable and goofy alien Mork on the TV show, nanu, but he became so much more. From hit films like Mrs. Doubtfire and Good Morning Vietnam, to his always hilarious antics on late night talk shows, to stand-up comedy routines, and much more, Robin Williams was an icon.
Yet few remember who his own hero was. The late Jonathan Winters, who was equally adept at creating scriptless humor out of virtually nothing. Williams often said he patterned himself after Winters. But very few have the gift of such talents. Yes, there have been other quick-witted people like Carson, Leno, Letterman, and Rickles, to name a few, but usually they were reacting to things said by others -- rather than creating it from scratch. Winters and Williams could walk on a stage anywhere, with no pre-written "lines", no teleprompter or cue cards, no nothing, and bring down the house with their imagination and spontaneous humor. A rare special talent indeed.
But on a much more somber note, it's time for a dose of reality. Once again, in a "high-profile" death, the authorities are playing hide and go seek with the facts. Reports appear unanimous that Williams committed suicide by asphyxia. Certainly the cops and the medical examiner know the circumstances and forensics surrounding his death. What does "suicide by asphyxia" mean? Did Williams zip tie his own neck? Hang himself? Out with it.
Hey, if Chicago Cubs and Detroit Lions fans can weather countless decades of heartbreak, and the "View" continues to air, how another celebrity killed himself won't exactly cause a mass panic across the nation. We can take just about anything, however it went down. So let's hear it.
Nevertheless, yours truly mourns the loss of Robin Williams. Only 63, and what a talent.
Alas.
Robin Williams is gone at the age of 63. Few would doubt he was amongst the most quick-witted, ad-lib impromptu hilarious people there ever was. Put Williams in a room-- any room -- under any circumstances -- and he would find a way to make people laugh.
Sure, he came to fame as the loveable and goofy alien Mork on the TV show, nanu, but he became so much more. From hit films like Mrs. Doubtfire and Good Morning Vietnam, to his always hilarious antics on late night talk shows, to stand-up comedy routines, and much more, Robin Williams was an icon.
Yet few remember who his own hero was. The late Jonathan Winters, who was equally adept at creating scriptless humor out of virtually nothing. Williams often said he patterned himself after Winters. But very few have the gift of such talents. Yes, there have been other quick-witted people like Carson, Leno, Letterman, and Rickles, to name a few, but usually they were reacting to things said by others -- rather than creating it from scratch. Winters and Williams could walk on a stage anywhere, with no pre-written "lines", no teleprompter or cue cards, no nothing, and bring down the house with their imagination and spontaneous humor. A rare special talent indeed.
But on a much more somber note, it's time for a dose of reality. Once again, in a "high-profile" death, the authorities are playing hide and go seek with the facts. Reports appear unanimous that Williams committed suicide by asphyxia. Certainly the cops and the medical examiner know the circumstances and forensics surrounding his death. What does "suicide by asphyxia" mean? Did Williams zip tie his own neck? Hang himself? Out with it.
Hey, if Chicago Cubs and Detroit Lions fans can weather countless decades of heartbreak, and the "View" continues to air, how another celebrity killed himself won't exactly cause a mass panic across the nation. We can take just about anything, however it went down. So let's hear it.
Nevertheless, yours truly mourns the loss of Robin Williams. Only 63, and what a talent.
Alas.
Detroit Tigers. Falling apart
Few would have thunk it, but it's happened -- again. While being the overwhelming favorite to win the weak AL Central Division, the Tigers now find themselves in second place behind the KC Royals. KC has been super-hot lately, and the Tigers can't seem to get out of their own way.
For the Tigers, it's been a combination of Murphy's Law and, frankly, stinking it up.
As for bad luck recently, the Motowners have had plenty. When their vaunted starting pitchers do well, the hurlers on the other team seem to do even better. Conversely, when the Tigers put a few runs on the board, the opponents put up more. That's just baseball. Stuff happens, both hot and cold.
But the last couple games for the Tigers have been telling, and not in a good way. In Toronto, they blew a 5-0 lead, and eventually lost the game in 19 innings. During the marathon game, the Tigers used everybody on their roster except starters Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer, including starting pitcher Rick Porcello on "short rest". Eight pitchers in all. But the Tigers had left themselves short-handed to begin with. Starter Anabel Sanchez was hurt, as was reliever Joakim Soria, but they hadn't called up replacements to fill those two spots. That's not bad luck, that's bad managing. And they got caught for their dereliction of duty.
Without the benefit of an off-day, Detroit had to travel to Pittsburgh to face the Pirates. Justin Verlander would start. But the Verlander of this year hardly appears to be the Cy Youngish Verlander of not long ago. Indeed, he was only a mediocre 10-10 entering this game. And what happened? The Fastball Flakes man got lit up, again. He gave up 4 runs, 4 hits, and two walks in merely the first inning. The Pirates were teeing off on him like it was batting practice. Verlander would not make it to the second inning, and reports say he might even be injured.
Still, that doesn't excuse the Tigers' overall play of late. They're committing little league errors in the field, and bone-headed plays on the basepaths. In the game against the Pirates, the Tigers had two runners thrown out at home, one by at least 15 feet. This might be understandable if the Tigers were trying to score the winning run late in a close game, or perhaps end a marathon like they endured in Toronto. But they were several runs behind at the time in Pittsburgh. Either the baserunners ran through the stop signal, or the third base coach waved them on. One way or the other, this is flat-out dumb baseball.
With their pitching staff gassed, or hurt, the Tigers had to call up (finally) a few scrubs from the minors to hopefully tide them over. Predictably, they got lit up like pinball machines as well. More batting practice for the other guys.
And it's not going to get any easier. Far from it. The Tigers still have two double-headers staring them in the face in the month of August, with only two off days. With Sanchez hurt, Verlander iffy at best, and the overall play of their positional players of late -- this may not bode well.
Further, their remaining games are not in their favor either. The "experts" have said the Tigers' schedule is the second toughest in the major leagues, behind only that of the Baltimore Orioles, who are, somewhat surprisingly, soaring high out in the East.
Once thought to be a "lock" to easily win the Central Division, the Tigers appear to be anything but.
Currently, they're in a dogfight to merely make the playoffs, even as a wildcard, where they would face a one game elimination match against the other wild card. Anything could happen. Got a coin to flip? Feel lucky?
But despite their recent bad play and Murphy's Law, I suspect they'll find a way to right their ship and cruise into the playoffs as division champions.
They better, or everybody from President/GM Dave Dombrowski to rookie manager Brad Ausmus is going to have some serious 'splainin to do.....
For the Tigers, it's been a combination of Murphy's Law and, frankly, stinking it up.
As for bad luck recently, the Motowners have had plenty. When their vaunted starting pitchers do well, the hurlers on the other team seem to do even better. Conversely, when the Tigers put a few runs on the board, the opponents put up more. That's just baseball. Stuff happens, both hot and cold.
But the last couple games for the Tigers have been telling, and not in a good way. In Toronto, they blew a 5-0 lead, and eventually lost the game in 19 innings. During the marathon game, the Tigers used everybody on their roster except starters Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer, including starting pitcher Rick Porcello on "short rest". Eight pitchers in all. But the Tigers had left themselves short-handed to begin with. Starter Anabel Sanchez was hurt, as was reliever Joakim Soria, but they hadn't called up replacements to fill those two spots. That's not bad luck, that's bad managing. And they got caught for their dereliction of duty.
Without the benefit of an off-day, Detroit had to travel to Pittsburgh to face the Pirates. Justin Verlander would start. But the Verlander of this year hardly appears to be the Cy Youngish Verlander of not long ago. Indeed, he was only a mediocre 10-10 entering this game. And what happened? The Fastball Flakes man got lit up, again. He gave up 4 runs, 4 hits, and two walks in merely the first inning. The Pirates were teeing off on him like it was batting practice. Verlander would not make it to the second inning, and reports say he might even be injured.
Still, that doesn't excuse the Tigers' overall play of late. They're committing little league errors in the field, and bone-headed plays on the basepaths. In the game against the Pirates, the Tigers had two runners thrown out at home, one by at least 15 feet. This might be understandable if the Tigers were trying to score the winning run late in a close game, or perhaps end a marathon like they endured in Toronto. But they were several runs behind at the time in Pittsburgh. Either the baserunners ran through the stop signal, or the third base coach waved them on. One way or the other, this is flat-out dumb baseball.
With their pitching staff gassed, or hurt, the Tigers had to call up (finally) a few scrubs from the minors to hopefully tide them over. Predictably, they got lit up like pinball machines as well. More batting practice for the other guys.
And it's not going to get any easier. Far from it. The Tigers still have two double-headers staring them in the face in the month of August, with only two off days. With Sanchez hurt, Verlander iffy at best, and the overall play of their positional players of late -- this may not bode well.
Further, their remaining games are not in their favor either. The "experts" have said the Tigers' schedule is the second toughest in the major leagues, behind only that of the Baltimore Orioles, who are, somewhat surprisingly, soaring high out in the East.
Once thought to be a "lock" to easily win the Central Division, the Tigers appear to be anything but.
Currently, they're in a dogfight to merely make the playoffs, even as a wildcard, where they would face a one game elimination match against the other wild card. Anything could happen. Got a coin to flip? Feel lucky?
But despite their recent bad play and Murphy's Law, I suspect they'll find a way to right their ship and cruise into the playoffs as division champions.
They better, or everybody from President/GM Dave Dombrowski to rookie manager Brad Ausmus is going to have some serious 'splainin to do.....
Race driver killed
It really is a shame that young (20) race driver Kevin Ward was tragically killed at a dirt track in upstate New York. Sometimes crashes happen at all levels of racing, and occasionally result in fatalities, though the sport as a whole has become much safer than it used to be through various upgrades in protective measure for the drivers.
But a driver getting run over as a "pedestrian" and killed by another race car is most ususual indeed. Yet it happened to Kevin Ward.
Apparently, noted NASCAR driver Tony Stewart made contact with Ward's car which spun the youngster crashing into the wall, effectively ending his race. Whether this initial contact was Stewart's or Ward's fault seems immaterial at this point. But Ward was pissed.
So he climbed out his car, still fully healthy, and waited for "Smoke" to come around the track again, presumably to holler, shake his fist, maybe throw his helmet, and otherwise let Stewart know he wasn't exactly happy with how the crash came about.
Little did he suspect he would be dead a few seconds later, having been run over by the very car and driver he wished to express his outrage at. This was a tragedy indeed, but beyond the obvious, a few things are wrong with this.
First of all, Ward climbing out of his car to stand in the middle of a race track, yellow flag or not, was an incredibly stupid thing to do. On top of that, he was wearing a black fire suit at a dimly lit dirt track. The back ends of cars typically fish-tail through the turns at dirt tracks and that is precisely what got Ward killed. When Stewart came around again, his right rear snagged Ward and the youngster got caught up underneath the car. Game, and life, over.
But he should have known better. What Ward did was like playing hopscotch on the interstate. One might survive, but it's definitely tempting fate. These are bad ideas. With all due sympathy to Ward and his family, sometimes doing stupid things can get one killed. Most any race car driver knows to stay in his/her car wrecked car until the rescue squad arrives and everything is totally safe. You do not, repeat NOT stand in the middle of the track waiting to flip the bird to another driver. In that respect, Ward himself was responsible for his own demise.
Of course, there's the cops. There's always cops poking their noses around looking for a reason to put somebody in jail even if a crime hasn't been committed. Amid much fanfare, the head boy in blue called a press conference. He said no criminal charges were being considered against Stewart at this time. Well, no kidding. It was a tragic racing accident, mostly prompted by a stupid act of the deceased. Yet despite the race track videos, they still want any spectators that filmed the incident to come forward to share their "evidence". Maybe, just maybe, they can build a case that Stewart mowed down Ward on purpose -- with malice and aforethought -- and send him up the river for a bunch of years. Though it's typical cop-thought, they had no business in this matter to begin with. It was obviously an accident, but the authorities always want to assign blame and burn somebody these days, whether it's justifiable or not. Scary thing is, they can often get gullible juries to believe it.
The whole incident was, in a word, unfortunate. The Ward family will grieve their loss of Kevin, and Tony Stewart will no doubt have haunting memories for quite some time.
But like Dale Earnhart Jr. said -- it's racing -- and sometimes bad things just happen. Considering his daddy -- he would know.....
But a driver getting run over as a "pedestrian" and killed by another race car is most ususual indeed. Yet it happened to Kevin Ward.
Apparently, noted NASCAR driver Tony Stewart made contact with Ward's car which spun the youngster crashing into the wall, effectively ending his race. Whether this initial contact was Stewart's or Ward's fault seems immaterial at this point. But Ward was pissed.
So he climbed out his car, still fully healthy, and waited for "Smoke" to come around the track again, presumably to holler, shake his fist, maybe throw his helmet, and otherwise let Stewart know he wasn't exactly happy with how the crash came about.
Little did he suspect he would be dead a few seconds later, having been run over by the very car and driver he wished to express his outrage at. This was a tragedy indeed, but beyond the obvious, a few things are wrong with this.
First of all, Ward climbing out of his car to stand in the middle of a race track, yellow flag or not, was an incredibly stupid thing to do. On top of that, he was wearing a black fire suit at a dimly lit dirt track. The back ends of cars typically fish-tail through the turns at dirt tracks and that is precisely what got Ward killed. When Stewart came around again, his right rear snagged Ward and the youngster got caught up underneath the car. Game, and life, over.
But he should have known better. What Ward did was like playing hopscotch on the interstate. One might survive, but it's definitely tempting fate. These are bad ideas. With all due sympathy to Ward and his family, sometimes doing stupid things can get one killed. Most any race car driver knows to stay in his/her car wrecked car until the rescue squad arrives and everything is totally safe. You do not, repeat NOT stand in the middle of the track waiting to flip the bird to another driver. In that respect, Ward himself was responsible for his own demise.
Of course, there's the cops. There's always cops poking their noses around looking for a reason to put somebody in jail even if a crime hasn't been committed. Amid much fanfare, the head boy in blue called a press conference. He said no criminal charges were being considered against Stewart at this time. Well, no kidding. It was a tragic racing accident, mostly prompted by a stupid act of the deceased. Yet despite the race track videos, they still want any spectators that filmed the incident to come forward to share their "evidence". Maybe, just maybe, they can build a case that Stewart mowed down Ward on purpose -- with malice and aforethought -- and send him up the river for a bunch of years. Though it's typical cop-thought, they had no business in this matter to begin with. It was obviously an accident, but the authorities always want to assign blame and burn somebody these days, whether it's justifiable or not. Scary thing is, they can often get gullible juries to believe it.
The whole incident was, in a word, unfortunate. The Ward family will grieve their loss of Kevin, and Tony Stewart will no doubt have haunting memories for quite some time.
But like Dale Earnhart Jr. said -- it's racing -- and sometimes bad things just happen. Considering his daddy -- he would know.....
Sunday, August 10, 2014
Gimme a break
So Florida has more deadly shark attacks than the other 49 states combined? Well, that's about a stupid statistic, considering some 30 states have no ocean shorelines. You won't see too many shark attacks in Nebraska. Gimme a break.
Don't look now, but those pesky KC Royals are only 1 1/2 games behind the Detroit Tigers again. Despite all the Motown huffing and puffing about Cy Young winners here and sluggers there, they have yet to blow down the weak AL Central Division. C'mon boys. Straighten up. God help them if they somehow manage to lose this thing and fall out of the playoffs. The media will eat them alive.
Tiger Woods once said he would walk away from the PGA tour if he couldn't compete for championships anymore. Pushing 40, with his game a mess and his seemingly ever-fragile physical health, the time might soon draw nigh to see if he was a man of his word. For all intents and purposes, having failed to make the Fed-Ex playoffs, Woods is done this year. He'll have several months to rehab and get his game together. But if his 2015 campaign looks anything like 2014, we shall see if he will gracefully bow out, or continue trying to hang on.
On a related note, Woods also once said he might come back to play with his son if his son was good enough to be out on tour. This was a few years before his son was even born. Let's not forget, his ex Elin popped out a daughter first. They named her Sam. Odd name for a girl, but Tiger said it was because his own dad, despite naming him Eldrick Tont, always called him Sam. Beats Sue, but the Woods' clans appears to be a little strange when it comes to what they call their children.
Nevertheless, as the chromosomes would have it, Elin gave birth to a son a couple years later. Charlie Axel. He's 5 years old now. So even if the boy grows up to be interested in golf, no given, and he becomes good enough to be a touring pro, and daddy Sam, oops, Tiger (and where did that name come from?) wants to play with him in a tournament -- it's likely at least 15 years away. At which time Eldrick would be in his early to mid 50s, and teeing it up on the geezer circuit, sometimes known as the Champions tour. And that's if he doesn't keep stinking it up and walk away from the game like he once promised. This could get complicated. We need a break from this whole Tigermania thing. Either he gets it back together or he doesn't but, if not soon, Father Time's not going to do his back, legs, and whatever else any favors in the future.
Watched a bit of the Detroit Lions/Cleveland Browns pre-season game. For all the hype of Detroit's supposed high octane offense and the debut of Cleveland's Johnny "Football" Manziel, talk about a yawner. That game could have put a glacier to sleep. Sure, it had to do with playing a bunch of scrubs that will be long gone before the regular season starts, but why even bother? Between the Lions and the Browns, two perennial losers, one would think their projected starters need all the game reps they can get.
Yet NFL teams across the board continue to charge regular season ticket prices for the charades they pass off as pre-season games. Gimme a break.
Thing is, the NFL has the season ticket holders between a rock and a hard place. If they want to keep their precious seats for the real games, they also have to pony up big bucks for a month's worth of shams.
And forget any giving of a break. That's just not right.....
Don't look now, but those pesky KC Royals are only 1 1/2 games behind the Detroit Tigers again. Despite all the Motown huffing and puffing about Cy Young winners here and sluggers there, they have yet to blow down the weak AL Central Division. C'mon boys. Straighten up. God help them if they somehow manage to lose this thing and fall out of the playoffs. The media will eat them alive.
Tiger Woods once said he would walk away from the PGA tour if he couldn't compete for championships anymore. Pushing 40, with his game a mess and his seemingly ever-fragile physical health, the time might soon draw nigh to see if he was a man of his word. For all intents and purposes, having failed to make the Fed-Ex playoffs, Woods is done this year. He'll have several months to rehab and get his game together. But if his 2015 campaign looks anything like 2014, we shall see if he will gracefully bow out, or continue trying to hang on.
On a related note, Woods also once said he might come back to play with his son if his son was good enough to be out on tour. This was a few years before his son was even born. Let's not forget, his ex Elin popped out a daughter first. They named her Sam. Odd name for a girl, but Tiger said it was because his own dad, despite naming him Eldrick Tont, always called him Sam. Beats Sue, but the Woods' clans appears to be a little strange when it comes to what they call their children.
Nevertheless, as the chromosomes would have it, Elin gave birth to a son a couple years later. Charlie Axel. He's 5 years old now. So even if the boy grows up to be interested in golf, no given, and he becomes good enough to be a touring pro, and daddy Sam, oops, Tiger (and where did that name come from?) wants to play with him in a tournament -- it's likely at least 15 years away. At which time Eldrick would be in his early to mid 50s, and teeing it up on the geezer circuit, sometimes known as the Champions tour. And that's if he doesn't keep stinking it up and walk away from the game like he once promised. This could get complicated. We need a break from this whole Tigermania thing. Either he gets it back together or he doesn't but, if not soon, Father Time's not going to do his back, legs, and whatever else any favors in the future.
Watched a bit of the Detroit Lions/Cleveland Browns pre-season game. For all the hype of Detroit's supposed high octane offense and the debut of Cleveland's Johnny "Football" Manziel, talk about a yawner. That game could have put a glacier to sleep. Sure, it had to do with playing a bunch of scrubs that will be long gone before the regular season starts, but why even bother? Between the Lions and the Browns, two perennial losers, one would think their projected starters need all the game reps they can get.
Yet NFL teams across the board continue to charge regular season ticket prices for the charades they pass off as pre-season games. Gimme a break.
Thing is, the NFL has the season ticket holders between a rock and a hard place. If they want to keep their precious seats for the real games, they also have to pony up big bucks for a month's worth of shams.
And forget any giving of a break. That's just not right.....
Friday, August 8, 2014
The silly season
You've likely already seen the TV ads. The "attackee" is portrayed in stark black and white with a grim expression on their face. Obviously, these people are evil. Then the picture changes to the "attacker" and, presto, it's in color as the hero(ine) smiles, shakes hands, kisses babies, and otherwise promises to save the day. First in black/white and sinister, then blooming color in a magical land where your fondest dreams may come true. Or so they say. It's kind of like watching the Wizard of Oz. Yep, it must be another election year. The silly season indeed.
Some Little League pitcher from a team in northern California is quite an amazing kid. Remember, though there have been cheaters in the past, supposedly no participant in Little League can be older than 13. But this not-so-little little dude had sideburns and the beginnings of a goatee. At 13? Really? Somebody needs to seriously card that boy, or at least drug test him. I sense some silliness afoot.
Idle thought: If it was found he had a gorilla in his family tree a few generations ago -- would that be grounds for disqualification?
After the first round of this year's PGA Championship, Tiger Woods found himself a whopping 9 strokes behind. But never fear, quoth the Eldrick, winning this major for his 15th was still within his reach. Alas, after the second round, Tiger had lost 6 more strokes, a full 15 behind the leader and nowhere near making the cut, let alone winning it. Of late, it appears Tiger has taken on the personna of Don Quixote. Tilting at windmills -- with an occasional f-bomb thrown in for good measure. Alexander Dumas likely would have considered such behavior quite silly, not to mention beneath his hero's dignity.
People in Cleveland stood in line for 6 hours just to hear Lebron James give a pep talk about the next basketball season that won't even start for another few months? With a rookie NBA coach and a roster that hasn't even been determined yet? Wow. It would appear they seriously -- SERIOUSLY -- need a few more entertainment options on the southern shores of Lake Erie. These people are getting silly.
And of course, there are the loveable?, and usually laughable Detroit Lions. As they approach the pre-season games, the historically silly-making Honolulu blue and silver koolaid is being dished out every which way. Again.
With a "hot-shot" QB, a Megatron, another "great" draft, a couple of "can't miss" free agents, a new coach/coordinators/systems, ferocious defensive line, veterans returning and the young studs having another year of experience under their belts -- this just might be "the year". Right.
Personally, I have long considered (and still do) the Lions to be like the editors of Mad magazine refer to their contributing artists and writers.
The usual gang of idiots.
To think they are anywhere remotely near Super Bowl caliber this year is just plain, well -- do I really need to say it?
Some Little League pitcher from a team in northern California is quite an amazing kid. Remember, though there have been cheaters in the past, supposedly no participant in Little League can be older than 13. But this not-so-little little dude had sideburns and the beginnings of a goatee. At 13? Really? Somebody needs to seriously card that boy, or at least drug test him. I sense some silliness afoot.
Idle thought: If it was found he had a gorilla in his family tree a few generations ago -- would that be grounds for disqualification?
After the first round of this year's PGA Championship, Tiger Woods found himself a whopping 9 strokes behind. But never fear, quoth the Eldrick, winning this major for his 15th was still within his reach. Alas, after the second round, Tiger had lost 6 more strokes, a full 15 behind the leader and nowhere near making the cut, let alone winning it. Of late, it appears Tiger has taken on the personna of Don Quixote. Tilting at windmills -- with an occasional f-bomb thrown in for good measure. Alexander Dumas likely would have considered such behavior quite silly, not to mention beneath his hero's dignity.
People in Cleveland stood in line for 6 hours just to hear Lebron James give a pep talk about the next basketball season that won't even start for another few months? With a rookie NBA coach and a roster that hasn't even been determined yet? Wow. It would appear they seriously -- SERIOUSLY -- need a few more entertainment options on the southern shores of Lake Erie. These people are getting silly.
And of course, there are the loveable?, and usually laughable Detroit Lions. As they approach the pre-season games, the historically silly-making Honolulu blue and silver koolaid is being dished out every which way. Again.
With a "hot-shot" QB, a Megatron, another "great" draft, a couple of "can't miss" free agents, a new coach/coordinators/systems, ferocious defensive line, veterans returning and the young studs having another year of experience under their belts -- this just might be "the year". Right.
Personally, I have long considered (and still do) the Lions to be like the editors of Mad magazine refer to their contributing artists and writers.
The usual gang of idiots.
To think they are anywhere remotely near Super Bowl caliber this year is just plain, well -- do I really need to say it?
Thursday, August 7, 2014
When will Tiger Woods hype finally stop?
According to the old saying, a lot of people get their fifteen minutes of fame. Some only get fifteen seconds, and then we never hear about them again.
And of course, there are the all-timers, whose accomplishments were so exceptional that they will be forever remembered as great men indeed, be it over years, decades, or even centuries. Names likes Alexander the Great, Caesar, Babe Ruth, Jack Daniels, and Larry, Moe, and Curly come to mind. You know, the true immortals.
Though it's a lot better than 15 seconds or minutes, Eldrick Tont (Tiger) Woods has enjoyed 15 years of fame, mostly for playing golf. Ahem. But there's a catch....
For roughly his first 10 years as a pro golfer, he lit up the sport like no other had ever done before, or perhaps will ever do again. Tiger was racking up tournament wins at an incredible rate, including one major title after another.
Often overlooked is the fact he re-kindled interest in the game of golf itself. From little kids in poor neighborhoods taking up the sport, on up through weekend TV ratings in pro tournaments, the game got a much-needed boost in popularity across the board, seemingly because of Tiger's mere presence.
But for the last 5 years of the above-mentioned 15, Woods hasn't fared so well. Sure, he's changed caddies, equipment, women, his swing, and had various physical ailments. Yet the fact remains that Tiger hasn't won a major since 2008, six years ago. Actually, he hasn't really come close.
For that matter, in recent times, Woods doesn't even seem to be competitive anymore. Translation? He's stinking it up. Bad.
In six tournament outings this year, his best finish was a tie for 25th. He's missed the cut, withdrawn from a couple others, and has made a paltry $108,000. That's a fairly handsome sum if one is flipping burgers at a fast food joint or writing a dopey sports blog (present company excluded) for a living, but far beneath what had come to be expected of the mighty Tiger.
After suffering back spasms which caused him to withdraw again last week, Woods and his medical folks pronounced him fit to play in this year's PGA tournament.
[Idle thought: This event is being held at a place called Valhalla. In Norse mythology, Valhalla was the enormous palace of the head god Odin. Who knew it was in Kentucky all along? Go figure.]
But once again, Tiger wasn't very good in his opening round. He sprayed shots all over the place, from creeks, to woods, to the gallery. He would finish at 3 over par 74, some nine shots behind the leader. And he was up to his old antics when frustrated. Pounding clubs on the ground and even dropping an "f" bomb. The man's pushing 40, and is a seasoned vet on the tour -- but he still acts like a spoiled brat throwing a hissy fit when things don't go his way. One would think he would have matured by now, but some things just aren't destined to happen.
Nevertheless, the last 5 years of Tiger hype have been strictly on his former greatness. And it definitely continues. Watch the sports highlights on ESPN. You'll always see a clip dedicated to Eldick even if he's hopelessly out of contention at any particular tournament. Unless he miraculously turns his game around, chances are he's going to miss the cut at this PGA. Reports say after this tournament, Tiger will go on vacation for at least six weeks.
So that begs the question --- with all the other great young players in the game -- and a new one seems to pop up every week -- how much longer will Tigermania be mandated upon the viewing public?
How bad and for how long does this guy have to stink it up before the collective media loses its fascination with him, and moves on to more objective coverage with the multitude of superior talents currently playing the game?
Another year? 2? 5? Who knows? But somehow Tiger stills draws them like moths to a porch light.
Here's wishing him the best in the future, but this hype thing really needs to stop, because he doesn't deserve it anymore. Not even close.
And of course, there are the all-timers, whose accomplishments were so exceptional that they will be forever remembered as great men indeed, be it over years, decades, or even centuries. Names likes Alexander the Great, Caesar, Babe Ruth, Jack Daniels, and Larry, Moe, and Curly come to mind. You know, the true immortals.
Though it's a lot better than 15 seconds or minutes, Eldrick Tont (Tiger) Woods has enjoyed 15 years of fame, mostly for playing golf. Ahem. But there's a catch....
For roughly his first 10 years as a pro golfer, he lit up the sport like no other had ever done before, or perhaps will ever do again. Tiger was racking up tournament wins at an incredible rate, including one major title after another.
Often overlooked is the fact he re-kindled interest in the game of golf itself. From little kids in poor neighborhoods taking up the sport, on up through weekend TV ratings in pro tournaments, the game got a much-needed boost in popularity across the board, seemingly because of Tiger's mere presence.
But for the last 5 years of the above-mentioned 15, Woods hasn't fared so well. Sure, he's changed caddies, equipment, women, his swing, and had various physical ailments. Yet the fact remains that Tiger hasn't won a major since 2008, six years ago. Actually, he hasn't really come close.
For that matter, in recent times, Woods doesn't even seem to be competitive anymore. Translation? He's stinking it up. Bad.
In six tournament outings this year, his best finish was a tie for 25th. He's missed the cut, withdrawn from a couple others, and has made a paltry $108,000. That's a fairly handsome sum if one is flipping burgers at a fast food joint or writing a dopey sports blog (present company excluded) for a living, but far beneath what had come to be expected of the mighty Tiger.
After suffering back spasms which caused him to withdraw again last week, Woods and his medical folks pronounced him fit to play in this year's PGA tournament.
[Idle thought: This event is being held at a place called Valhalla. In Norse mythology, Valhalla was the enormous palace of the head god Odin. Who knew it was in Kentucky all along? Go figure.]
But once again, Tiger wasn't very good in his opening round. He sprayed shots all over the place, from creeks, to woods, to the gallery. He would finish at 3 over par 74, some nine shots behind the leader. And he was up to his old antics when frustrated. Pounding clubs on the ground and even dropping an "f" bomb. The man's pushing 40, and is a seasoned vet on the tour -- but he still acts like a spoiled brat throwing a hissy fit when things don't go his way. One would think he would have matured by now, but some things just aren't destined to happen.
Nevertheless, the last 5 years of Tiger hype have been strictly on his former greatness. And it definitely continues. Watch the sports highlights on ESPN. You'll always see a clip dedicated to Eldick even if he's hopelessly out of contention at any particular tournament. Unless he miraculously turns his game around, chances are he's going to miss the cut at this PGA. Reports say after this tournament, Tiger will go on vacation for at least six weeks.
So that begs the question --- with all the other great young players in the game -- and a new one seems to pop up every week -- how much longer will Tigermania be mandated upon the viewing public?
How bad and for how long does this guy have to stink it up before the collective media loses its fascination with him, and moves on to more objective coverage with the multitude of superior talents currently playing the game?
Another year? 2? 5? Who knows? But somehow Tiger stills draws them like moths to a porch light.
Here's wishing him the best in the future, but this hype thing really needs to stop, because he doesn't deserve it anymore. Not even close.
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