First things first because a promise is a promise. Here's a shout-out to Michelle, my Oakland Press carrier, who went the extra mile by driving across town to deliver a section of my Sunday paper that was originally missing. A class act, MW, and many thanks from a grateful subscriber. However, as they say, no good deed goes unpunished and yours truly has a long memory when it comes to such things. There might just be a gesture of appreciation in the blue box come Christmas time. Ya never know what a crazy old biker might decide to do with all those billions in loose change he has lying around the house. :-)
Sports Illustrated has come out with its yearly NFL predictions. Granted, they get them right about as often as the slobbering guy sitting on the bar stool next to you screaming at the Keno monitor for his last number to come in does, but for some reason there are those that place great faith in SI's prognostications.
Even veteran sports writers, who should know better, continue to bite on this nonsense. A local one has been fond of preaching the gospel of long-time pseudo-guru Peter King. Yours truly has said it before and I'll say it again here. When it comes to handicapping NFL games, PK couldn't pick his nose with a power auger. If he was in Vegas, he might have been swimming with the fishes a long time ago.
Nonetheless, the SI swamis have predicted the Detroit Lions to go 6-10 during the upcoming 2015 season. They see the Lions finishing a distant third in the NFC Central Division and nowhere near making the playoffs. The Honolulu blue and silver faithful in Detroit likely say pshaw. Their team is WAY better than that. But are they?
After making the playoffs as a wild-card team last season -- a season during which they had an incredibly weak schedule -- and every possible break seemed to go their way -- the worm has turned. Though they lost in the opening round, just getting to the playoffs changed things dramatically for the Lions. This year they've been slapped with a brutal schedule.
Their first four games will be telling indeed. Off to San Diego for the opener. The Lions haven't traditionally fared well on the west coast, and Philip Rivers is every bit the QB Matthew Stafford is.
On to Minnesota, where a very healthy and rested Adrian Peterson will put a mega-stress test on the Lions' defensive line. Losing the likes of Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley, goons that they may have been, is not easily remedied. AP could run wild against Detroit's revamped line. And don't look now, but their young QB Teddy Bridgewater isn't too shabby either.
Then Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos come to town. Does the Omaha man with the chicken neck who's never seen a commercial plug he doesn't like -- cha-ching -- still have some serious game left in him at age 39? Maybe. Even SI picked the Broncos to win the AFC West. The Lions will likely be underdogs in that contest, even at home.
Week four sees the Lions travelling to the slaughterhouse in Seattle. The Seahawks have been to the last two Super Bowls, winning one and coming within a whisker of another. They recently picked up superstar receiver Jimmy Graham to boot. Absolutely nobody would be surprised if the S-Hawks made it back to another Big Dance. And any team going into Seattle's backyard faces a nightmare scenario. Besides an All-Pro running back in Marshawn Lynch and a formidable defense, these guys get jacked-up playing in front of their raucous home crowd. Winning in Seattle is no easy task for a visiting team. Few have pulled it off in recent years, and the Lions likely won't either.
But in the NFL, strange things happen. Injuries, upsets, and improbable miracle plays. One need look no further than the deciding play in the most recent Super Bowl. The Seahawks were going to win. Then some Patriot cornerback nobody ever heard of guessed right and jumped a route at the goal line to make an interception. Game, set, match, and the Lombardi trophy. Just that quick.
So one never knows how the Lions might fare in the first month of this season. Their schedule is certainly tough and they might lose them all. Starting off 0-4 would definitely deflate a lot of balloons in Lions' land. And it would play right into SI's 6-10 prediction for their season.
Your truly thinks 1-3 is more likely, or maybe even 2-2 if they catch a break here and there.
But wouldn't it be something if the Lions ran that gauntlet and emerged 4-0? Stranger things have happened -- I think. Those college kids winning the Olympic gold medal in hockey back in 1980 after defeating the mighty Soviet Red Army team was the longest of shots. So were the Miracle Mets of 1969. As was Joe Willy Namath and his upstart Jets knocking off the powerhouse Baltimore Colts in the same era. And hey, Jesse "the body" Ventura, a former pro wrestler, even once got elected governor of Minnesota. For that matter, a certain sports editor once thought I might have a talent for writing -- hence this blog. He even bought me lunch. Who would have believed any of it? But it happened.
Regardless, here's wishing the Lions the best. With apologies to Mr. Spock, they've certainly lived long enough, so may they also prosper -- finally.
And if the Lions somehow improbably sniff the Super Bowl any year soon, the fans in Detroit would be absolutely delirious with joy.
Almost as happy as I was when Michelle showed up with the Sunday NY Times crossword puzzle. Sometimes the little things in life can be important too -- ya know?
And I think that's where I came in. Thanks again, M.
Sunday, September 6, 2015
The bad new days
Of course, the title is opposed to the "good old days". Many years ago, most sports fans had little to be concerned with regarding the behavior of their home town heroes. Sure, lots of hanky-panky went on back then but either nobody much cared, or it was swept under the rug by the reporters.
The Baseball Hall of Fame is chock full of drunks and adulterers. Babe Ruth was a known womanizer and Joe Dimaggio supposedly had a "girl in every port" while on road trips. Mickey Mantle, Whitey Ford, and Billy Martin were notorious booze-hounds, and this was hardly peculiar to the Yankees. It went on elsewhere, but the Bronx Bombers did, and do, receive the most publicity. Nobody cared.
The NFL was certainly no angel either. In decades past, it has since been revealed many of the players were either popping pills (greenies), or getting shots just before a game and again at halftime. Some serious amphetamines, uppers if you will. It would turn them into animals when they took the field. But nobody cared.
Lance Armstrong became the poster boy for "doping" on the Tour de France, but few seriously doubt this practice had gone on for decades before. One way or the other, they were likely "cheating" with various substances. But only just recently has it become an issue.
The steroid era in baseball speaks for itself. We all know about that. But only because it was finally exposed. Sort of. Ironically, though accusations flew every which way, and the authorities spent countless millions trying to prove it, no player was ever officially convicted of "juicing". The "court of public opinion" (especially the politically correct knee-jerk media) has certainly judged them over the years,and returned a guilty verdict, but an argument could certainly be made that a player that otherwise would have no-brainer Hall of Fame credentials being denied induction on mass speculation without proof is a flawed premise indeed. But it is what it is. Guys like Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, and yes, Pete Rose, will eventually be enshrined. It's just a matter of time. Hopefully they live long enough to enjoy the moment of it happening. A definite maybe.
Yet these days, we seem to be hit with another "incident" in the world of sports every day. Car wrecks, DUIs, various assaultive behavior, and "substances" are certainly still around. It's an ongoing battle between the chemists coming up with something new and the laboratory narcs figuring out a test that will detect it. It seems to morph by the day. Who will eventually prevail would seem to be a very good question.
Some dopey football player actually managed to shoot himself in the leg with his own gun -- while he was playing with it in his pocket at a nightclub. The boys of summer in days of old may have drank a lot of booze and had their way with a lot of women, but they weren't THAT stupid.
Or maybe they were, but we never knew about it. And that's the thing. Any little incident that comes up these days with a sports figure will be hyped to the heavens by the media. It will be on TV, in print, on the net, and all over various social media as well. Millions will draw premature conclusions, usually guilty, without having the slightest idea of what really happened. But the media will shamelessly milk it and hype it for all it's worth. It's all about ratings, and the millions of idiots that will believe whatever hype they are fed. Remember Anderson Cooper, CNN, and that missing Malaysian jetliner? They ran the story non-stop for a full month. All kinds of pseudo-experts jabbered away with various theories. Their ratings went up, though they didn't have a collective clue all along. Over a year later, the plane STILL hasn't been found. AC, of the Vanderbilt family, can ask dumb questions and give even dumber looks, but the blue-bloods like Vanderbilts can get away with such nonsense.
[Note the recent Tom Brady "deflategate" case. It took an investigator 2 months to put together a 200 page report -- at the cost of millions -- only to never uncover any hard evidence of wrong-doing. A suspension, then an appeal which was denied. Three go-rounds in a federal court and, finally, mercifully, a judge got off his ass and made a decision. The case was tossed. Brady has been vindicated. For now. Roger Goodell and his merry band of incompetent power hungry legal beagles were out of line in the first place rendering such an arbitrary punishment. But of course, they have appealed. The stupidity goes on. If likely denied in an appellate court, months from now, would they really have the audacity to pursue it all the way to the Supremes? Over footballs that were allegedly a half a pound under-inflated in a 45-7 blowout game? The very same game where Tom Brady's stats were much better in the second half after the "error" had been corrected at halftime? Could the Commish and his minions possibly be that obtuse?]
But back to the point. All kinds of not-so-good stuff happened in the old days, but usually the press turned a blind eye. How do you think John and Bobby Kennedy's go-rounds with Marilyn Monroe would go over these days? Ted's little Chappaquiddick adventure that resulted in the death of a young lady was swept under the rug. Fast forward. One-time comer Gary Hart (very much married) got caught on a tropical island with a bimbo in tow. End of political career. Bill Clinton even got impeached over his escapades in the Oval Office, but they don't call him Slick Willy for nothing. Ahem, on a couple fronts.
Thing is, nowadays everybody's under a microscope. Reporters, cameras, microphones, and those pesky citizens capturing everything on video with their smart phones don't miss much.
Maybe this is a good thing. It surely aids in catching a lot of evil-doers.
Nah. No way. What righteous American wants to be under surveillance 24/7? The Founding Fathers would have shuddered at such a future possibility.
Bottom line. If some jock does something truly outrageous, like going on a murderous rampage, then OK, maybe that should be news. Like it would be for any other citizen.
But tell me the jocks of yesteryear didn't slug people -- even women -- get pulled over for driving drunk, and have a bunch of "pills" in their possession at times -- and I'll tell you I don't believe a word of it. It happened. All the time.
But nobody cared back then and, even if they did, their voices would never be heard.
Times have definitely changed.
Pros and cons to that. The truth is always a good thing, but too much of it when it comes to one's sports heroes can be counter-productive as well.
There's some things we just don't want to know.
TMI......
The Baseball Hall of Fame is chock full of drunks and adulterers. Babe Ruth was a known womanizer and Joe Dimaggio supposedly had a "girl in every port" while on road trips. Mickey Mantle, Whitey Ford, and Billy Martin were notorious booze-hounds, and this was hardly peculiar to the Yankees. It went on elsewhere, but the Bronx Bombers did, and do, receive the most publicity. Nobody cared.
The NFL was certainly no angel either. In decades past, it has since been revealed many of the players were either popping pills (greenies), or getting shots just before a game and again at halftime. Some serious amphetamines, uppers if you will. It would turn them into animals when they took the field. But nobody cared.
Lance Armstrong became the poster boy for "doping" on the Tour de France, but few seriously doubt this practice had gone on for decades before. One way or the other, they were likely "cheating" with various substances. But only just recently has it become an issue.
The steroid era in baseball speaks for itself. We all know about that. But only because it was finally exposed. Sort of. Ironically, though accusations flew every which way, and the authorities spent countless millions trying to prove it, no player was ever officially convicted of "juicing". The "court of public opinion" (especially the politically correct knee-jerk media) has certainly judged them over the years,and returned a guilty verdict, but an argument could certainly be made that a player that otherwise would have no-brainer Hall of Fame credentials being denied induction on mass speculation without proof is a flawed premise indeed. But it is what it is. Guys like Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, and yes, Pete Rose, will eventually be enshrined. It's just a matter of time. Hopefully they live long enough to enjoy the moment of it happening. A definite maybe.
Yet these days, we seem to be hit with another "incident" in the world of sports every day. Car wrecks, DUIs, various assaultive behavior, and "substances" are certainly still around. It's an ongoing battle between the chemists coming up with something new and the laboratory narcs figuring out a test that will detect it. It seems to morph by the day. Who will eventually prevail would seem to be a very good question.
Some dopey football player actually managed to shoot himself in the leg with his own gun -- while he was playing with it in his pocket at a nightclub. The boys of summer in days of old may have drank a lot of booze and had their way with a lot of women, but they weren't THAT stupid.
Or maybe they were, but we never knew about it. And that's the thing. Any little incident that comes up these days with a sports figure will be hyped to the heavens by the media. It will be on TV, in print, on the net, and all over various social media as well. Millions will draw premature conclusions, usually guilty, without having the slightest idea of what really happened. But the media will shamelessly milk it and hype it for all it's worth. It's all about ratings, and the millions of idiots that will believe whatever hype they are fed. Remember Anderson Cooper, CNN, and that missing Malaysian jetliner? They ran the story non-stop for a full month. All kinds of pseudo-experts jabbered away with various theories. Their ratings went up, though they didn't have a collective clue all along. Over a year later, the plane STILL hasn't been found. AC, of the Vanderbilt family, can ask dumb questions and give even dumber looks, but the blue-bloods like Vanderbilts can get away with such nonsense.
[Note the recent Tom Brady "deflategate" case. It took an investigator 2 months to put together a 200 page report -- at the cost of millions -- only to never uncover any hard evidence of wrong-doing. A suspension, then an appeal which was denied. Three go-rounds in a federal court and, finally, mercifully, a judge got off his ass and made a decision. The case was tossed. Brady has been vindicated. For now. Roger Goodell and his merry band of incompetent power hungry legal beagles were out of line in the first place rendering such an arbitrary punishment. But of course, they have appealed. The stupidity goes on. If likely denied in an appellate court, months from now, would they really have the audacity to pursue it all the way to the Supremes? Over footballs that were allegedly a half a pound under-inflated in a 45-7 blowout game? The very same game where Tom Brady's stats were much better in the second half after the "error" had been corrected at halftime? Could the Commish and his minions possibly be that obtuse?]
But back to the point. All kinds of not-so-good stuff happened in the old days, but usually the press turned a blind eye. How do you think John and Bobby Kennedy's go-rounds with Marilyn Monroe would go over these days? Ted's little Chappaquiddick adventure that resulted in the death of a young lady was swept under the rug. Fast forward. One-time comer Gary Hart (very much married) got caught on a tropical island with a bimbo in tow. End of political career. Bill Clinton even got impeached over his escapades in the Oval Office, but they don't call him Slick Willy for nothing. Ahem, on a couple fronts.
Thing is, nowadays everybody's under a microscope. Reporters, cameras, microphones, and those pesky citizens capturing everything on video with their smart phones don't miss much.
Maybe this is a good thing. It surely aids in catching a lot of evil-doers.
Nah. No way. What righteous American wants to be under surveillance 24/7? The Founding Fathers would have shuddered at such a future possibility.
Bottom line. If some jock does something truly outrageous, like going on a murderous rampage, then OK, maybe that should be news. Like it would be for any other citizen.
But tell me the jocks of yesteryear didn't slug people -- even women -- get pulled over for driving drunk, and have a bunch of "pills" in their possession at times -- and I'll tell you I don't believe a word of it. It happened. All the time.
But nobody cared back then and, even if they did, their voices would never be heard.
Times have definitely changed.
Pros and cons to that. The truth is always a good thing, but too much of it when it comes to one's sports heroes can be counter-productive as well.
There's some things we just don't want to know.
TMI......
Saturday, September 5, 2015
The utter meltdown of the Detroit Tigers
It's really getting hard to watch. After so many years of being successful, the Tigers appear to be in free-fall. Granted, they haven't won a World Series since 1984, and have had their ups and downs since the Gipper was running for his second term in the Oval Office. But in recent years, they've at least been contenders. They've won several division championships, a few playoff series', and even made it back to the World Series. But they could never get over the hump.
And now they've become almost a laughingstock. Cannon fodder for most other teams to beat up on. Consider a couple things:
About a week ago, the Tigers went to Toronto for a 3 game series. The Jays would put up 5, 15, and 9 runs, for a total of 29 over those three games. On to Kansas City. The Royals put up 5, 12, and 15 for a total of 32 in a 3 game set. The Tigers went back home and just last night the Cleveland Indians hit them up for an 8-spot.
That's 69 runs over the course of the last 7 games their pitching staff has been pounded for. Just a tad shy of 10 per game. Hey, if you're giving up an average of a Hamilton every game, somebody's ERA is heading north in a bad way. And a team can't expect to win too many games when their pitching staff is getting hammered like that.
The Tigers' once-vaunted starting rotation has been reduced to a shambles. Scherzer left. Price was traded. Fister and Porcello were dealt. Sanchez remains on the DL. So what do they have left?
Justin Verlander. The former ace has good days and bad days, but his record is 3-6.
Thirty nine year old retread Ron Wolf. He's 0-3.
Kyle Lobstein. 3-6.
Alfredo Simon started off hot, but has been getting clobbered of late. He's 11-9.
Dennis Boyd. 1-5.
This starting quintet will hardly intimidate other teams. Quite the opposite. Opposing batters have come to think it's stat-padding time when facing Tiger pitching. And then there's the Tigers' bullpen. If the starters can't get through 6-7 innings, no given, the boys in the "pen" have long been little more than batting practice pitchers. When the Tigers wake up a member of the bullpen and bring him on to pitch -- it's pretty much party time for opposing batters. No Tiger lead is safe. These guys are not good. Maybe better than anybody that lives on your block, but hardly effective at the major league level.
Much of this can be laid at the feet of Dave Dombrowski, the former Pres/GM that was recently fired. For years, the DD man was in "win now" mode, likely with the blessing of owner Mike Ilitch. Nothing wrong with that -- to a point. Problem was, they came close, but never quite made it. But along the way, Dombrowski totally gutted the farm system. Top prospects were traded off to get "big time" players. Now, many of the "big time" guys are gone for various reasons, never having won a title in Detroit, and the Tigers are left with a sorry parade of not-ready-for-prime-time players. It's all they have left. True, David Price and Yoenis Cespides were likely going to leave anyway after this season for greener pastures, and D-ski got what he could for them while he could, but that doesn't make the bigger picture any more palatable for Tiger fans.
Also true, Miguel Cabrera will likely win another batting title, Ian Kinsler remains solid, and the Tigers have got good contributions from the likes of J. D. Martinez and Jose Iglesias. But beyond that, they look like a minor league team. Nick Castellanos is a liability at third base and fading quickly with the bat. There's a reason center-fielder Anthony Gose spent so many years in the minor leagues of other clubs. Rajai Davis is a joke. Who the hell is Tyler Collins? Their DH, one Victor Martinez, is barely hitting his weight, can play absolutely NO defensive position, and can be timed running the bases with a sundial. Let's just say he's pitifully slow. Grandma pushing a shopping cart with a wobbly wheel slow.
So while Dombrowski led the Tigers up, up, up, but never over the top with his moves, he also sold their future. There's no help on the way from their farm system any time soon, and they have precious few players with much trade value. Verlander? Soon to be 33, and spotty at best in recent years, he's got a guaranteed contract at $28,000.000 a year through 2020. What other team would take that on?
Kinsler could fetch a decent player or two, but that would leave the Tigers with yet another gaping hole at second base. Cabrera could be put on the block. Lots of teams would come after him. The dude remains a beast with his bat. The Tigers could probably get a good starting pitcher, a reliever, a position player, and maybe a top prospect or three if they offed Miggy. And it might not be such a bad idea. Cabrera is never going to win a championship in Detroit, given how bad the rest of the team has become. He'd probably welcome a change of scenery, especially going to a team on the rise, or a contender already there. Cabrera is a Venezuelan. What the hell does he care about Detroit?
Even with him, the Tigers aren't going to win anything any year soon. Though they will never admit it, the Tigers are in total rebuild mode. Trading Cabrera would not only free up a bunch of money, but if done prudently with forethought, could bring the Tigers much needed help for the future.
Yeah, it was time for Dombrowski to go in Detroit. He did OK for a while, but he left the club pretty much in a shambles. Know what's ironic? The Bosox snapped him up. And guess what? While both the Red Sox and Tigers are in the basements of their divisions, the Beaners recently passed the Puddy-Tats in the overall standings. To boot, if I'm Dave Dombrowski and get to move from Detroit to Boston while still making the same big-bucks -- I'm a happy camper. Boston may have their uppety schmucks that talk funny, but they have Harvard, the Cheers bar, the Bruins and the Celtics. The Super Bowl winning Patriots are nearby. One can walk the streets at night.
Detroit has their lowlifes that speak a street language civilized people can't understand, Wayne State, titty-bars, the Red Wings that are still trying to con the tax-payers into building them a totally unnecessary new arena, and the Pistons left town decades ago. The Lions have been a joke for over half a century and play right across the street from the Tigers in Detroit. One takes one's life in their hands if they wander a few blocks away from the Fox district in Motown after dark, or even in daytime.
Maybe the shrewdest move of D-ski's career to date.
But the fact remains, the Tigers are not only bad, but will likely get even worse before they get better again. It could be a while......
And now they've become almost a laughingstock. Cannon fodder for most other teams to beat up on. Consider a couple things:
About a week ago, the Tigers went to Toronto for a 3 game series. The Jays would put up 5, 15, and 9 runs, for a total of 29 over those three games. On to Kansas City. The Royals put up 5, 12, and 15 for a total of 32 in a 3 game set. The Tigers went back home and just last night the Cleveland Indians hit them up for an 8-spot.
That's 69 runs over the course of the last 7 games their pitching staff has been pounded for. Just a tad shy of 10 per game. Hey, if you're giving up an average of a Hamilton every game, somebody's ERA is heading north in a bad way. And a team can't expect to win too many games when their pitching staff is getting hammered like that.
The Tigers' once-vaunted starting rotation has been reduced to a shambles. Scherzer left. Price was traded. Fister and Porcello were dealt. Sanchez remains on the DL. So what do they have left?
Justin Verlander. The former ace has good days and bad days, but his record is 3-6.
Thirty nine year old retread Ron Wolf. He's 0-3.
Kyle Lobstein. 3-6.
Alfredo Simon started off hot, but has been getting clobbered of late. He's 11-9.
Dennis Boyd. 1-5.
This starting quintet will hardly intimidate other teams. Quite the opposite. Opposing batters have come to think it's stat-padding time when facing Tiger pitching. And then there's the Tigers' bullpen. If the starters can't get through 6-7 innings, no given, the boys in the "pen" have long been little more than batting practice pitchers. When the Tigers wake up a member of the bullpen and bring him on to pitch -- it's pretty much party time for opposing batters. No Tiger lead is safe. These guys are not good. Maybe better than anybody that lives on your block, but hardly effective at the major league level.
Much of this can be laid at the feet of Dave Dombrowski, the former Pres/GM that was recently fired. For years, the DD man was in "win now" mode, likely with the blessing of owner Mike Ilitch. Nothing wrong with that -- to a point. Problem was, they came close, but never quite made it. But along the way, Dombrowski totally gutted the farm system. Top prospects were traded off to get "big time" players. Now, many of the "big time" guys are gone for various reasons, never having won a title in Detroit, and the Tigers are left with a sorry parade of not-ready-for-prime-time players. It's all they have left. True, David Price and Yoenis Cespides were likely going to leave anyway after this season for greener pastures, and D-ski got what he could for them while he could, but that doesn't make the bigger picture any more palatable for Tiger fans.
Also true, Miguel Cabrera will likely win another batting title, Ian Kinsler remains solid, and the Tigers have got good contributions from the likes of J. D. Martinez and Jose Iglesias. But beyond that, they look like a minor league team. Nick Castellanos is a liability at third base and fading quickly with the bat. There's a reason center-fielder Anthony Gose spent so many years in the minor leagues of other clubs. Rajai Davis is a joke. Who the hell is Tyler Collins? Their DH, one Victor Martinez, is barely hitting his weight, can play absolutely NO defensive position, and can be timed running the bases with a sundial. Let's just say he's pitifully slow. Grandma pushing a shopping cart with a wobbly wheel slow.
So while Dombrowski led the Tigers up, up, up, but never over the top with his moves, he also sold their future. There's no help on the way from their farm system any time soon, and they have precious few players with much trade value. Verlander? Soon to be 33, and spotty at best in recent years, he's got a guaranteed contract at $28,000.000 a year through 2020. What other team would take that on?
Kinsler could fetch a decent player or two, but that would leave the Tigers with yet another gaping hole at second base. Cabrera could be put on the block. Lots of teams would come after him. The dude remains a beast with his bat. The Tigers could probably get a good starting pitcher, a reliever, a position player, and maybe a top prospect or three if they offed Miggy. And it might not be such a bad idea. Cabrera is never going to win a championship in Detroit, given how bad the rest of the team has become. He'd probably welcome a change of scenery, especially going to a team on the rise, or a contender already there. Cabrera is a Venezuelan. What the hell does he care about Detroit?
Even with him, the Tigers aren't going to win anything any year soon. Though they will never admit it, the Tigers are in total rebuild mode. Trading Cabrera would not only free up a bunch of money, but if done prudently with forethought, could bring the Tigers much needed help for the future.
Yeah, it was time for Dombrowski to go in Detroit. He did OK for a while, but he left the club pretty much in a shambles. Know what's ironic? The Bosox snapped him up. And guess what? While both the Red Sox and Tigers are in the basements of their divisions, the Beaners recently passed the Puddy-Tats in the overall standings. To boot, if I'm Dave Dombrowski and get to move from Detroit to Boston while still making the same big-bucks -- I'm a happy camper. Boston may have their uppety schmucks that talk funny, but they have Harvard, the Cheers bar, the Bruins and the Celtics. The Super Bowl winning Patriots are nearby. One can walk the streets at night.
Detroit has their lowlifes that speak a street language civilized people can't understand, Wayne State, titty-bars, the Red Wings that are still trying to con the tax-payers into building them a totally unnecessary new arena, and the Pistons left town decades ago. The Lions have been a joke for over half a century and play right across the street from the Tigers in Detroit. One takes one's life in their hands if they wander a few blocks away from the Fox district in Motown after dark, or even in daytime.
Maybe the shrewdest move of D-ski's career to date.
But the fact remains, the Tigers are not only bad, but will likely get even worse before they get better again. It could be a while......
Thursday, September 3, 2015
Big 10 football tidbits
First of all, this conference is long overdue to change its name. How can you have 14 teams in a conference and still call it the Big 10? Even some of their jocks that can barely read, write, or compute at an eighth-grade level can count that high. I think. The SEC has long had it right. It doesn't matter whether there's 10 teams, 14 teams, or 30 teams. It's the South East Conference. Change the Big 10 to the Great Lakes Conference. Teams such as Rutgers, Nebraska, and Iowa are nowhere near any great lake, you say? Pshaw. Neither was that little league baseball team from Kentucky, but they played in the Great Lakes region. Besides, you have to call it something. And keeping it the Big 10 is a mixture of arrogance and a glaring lack of the grasp of the most basic math. C'mon guys. Either take your shoes and socks off when the count exceeds ten, or rename it something else entirely that doesn't require a number. But the current situation is just plain silly.
It was interesting to note how several, ahem, Big 10 football schools kicked off their schedules. Michigan traveled to Utah. Harbaugh this and Harbaugh that, but the Utes were certainly a worthy opponent. After all, they came into UM's Big House last year and thrashed them 26-10. Out in Salt Lake City this year, the Utes were favored by 5. They won 24-17. In other words, they covered. The Harbaugh era at UM is 0-1. Tough game.
[Let's also not forget that, despite the hoopla and coronation of Jim Harbaugh returning to Ann Arbor, he's never really won ANYTHING. Yes, he was very successful at San Diego State, Stanford, and even led the San Fran 49ers to a Super Bowl. He can boast of a terrific winning record, but he's never tasted a championship.]
Minnesota hosted #2 ranked TCU. The Horned Frogs would win, barely, but the Golden Gophers gave them a good game.
Wisconsin opens up against #3 Alabama. The Badgers are ranked in the top 25 and may or may not give the Tide a run for their money. Probably not, but they weren't afraid to start the season out with a bang.
Ohio State starts off by taking on Virginia Tech, the only team to beat them last year.
Meanwhile, Michigan State decided to take a different tack. With a rematch against highly ranked Oregon in Week 2, the Spartans opted for what many Big 10 teams have done in the past. Play a patsy first. Enter Western Michigan. A great party school, but not exactly known for its football prowess. MSU will likely beat them by 40-50 points -- which will prove nothing.
In recent years Michigan State has built a solid football program, but can never seem to get what they desire most. National respect. Sure, they're once again a Top Ten team as the 2015 season begins, and they might well have another highly successful campaign, including winning a bowl game somewhere in January. Yet the Rodney Dangerfield syndrome persists in East Lansing.
So here's a tip to head coach Mark Dantonio and the Spartan faithful. If you want to be taken seriously by the national pundits, much less the computers that crunch all the data and spit out rankings, quit with the patsies already and play somebody your own size. That strength-of-schedule thing really does matter. Western Michigan? You have everything to lose and absolutely nothing to gain.
Idle thought: The Michigan Wolverines have a player named Jake Butt. He even caught a touchdown pass against Utah. And guess what position Butt plays? "Tight end", of course. There's some irony in them thar hills. Could it be Butt is destined to eventually marry a Kardashian someday?
Beats me, but their kids couldn't be any worse off than Ohio State coach Urban Meyer naming a future son Oscar. Baloney is a good thing and has its place, but too much is too much.
Kind of like this article. So now, mercifully, it's over.
It was interesting to note how several, ahem, Big 10 football schools kicked off their schedules. Michigan traveled to Utah. Harbaugh this and Harbaugh that, but the Utes were certainly a worthy opponent. After all, they came into UM's Big House last year and thrashed them 26-10. Out in Salt Lake City this year, the Utes were favored by 5. They won 24-17. In other words, they covered. The Harbaugh era at UM is 0-1. Tough game.
[Let's also not forget that, despite the hoopla and coronation of Jim Harbaugh returning to Ann Arbor, he's never really won ANYTHING. Yes, he was very successful at San Diego State, Stanford, and even led the San Fran 49ers to a Super Bowl. He can boast of a terrific winning record, but he's never tasted a championship.]
Minnesota hosted #2 ranked TCU. The Horned Frogs would win, barely, but the Golden Gophers gave them a good game.
Wisconsin opens up against #3 Alabama. The Badgers are ranked in the top 25 and may or may not give the Tide a run for their money. Probably not, but they weren't afraid to start the season out with a bang.
Ohio State starts off by taking on Virginia Tech, the only team to beat them last year.
Meanwhile, Michigan State decided to take a different tack. With a rematch against highly ranked Oregon in Week 2, the Spartans opted for what many Big 10 teams have done in the past. Play a patsy first. Enter Western Michigan. A great party school, but not exactly known for its football prowess. MSU will likely beat them by 40-50 points -- which will prove nothing.
In recent years Michigan State has built a solid football program, but can never seem to get what they desire most. National respect. Sure, they're once again a Top Ten team as the 2015 season begins, and they might well have another highly successful campaign, including winning a bowl game somewhere in January. Yet the Rodney Dangerfield syndrome persists in East Lansing.
So here's a tip to head coach Mark Dantonio and the Spartan faithful. If you want to be taken seriously by the national pundits, much less the computers that crunch all the data and spit out rankings, quit with the patsies already and play somebody your own size. That strength-of-schedule thing really does matter. Western Michigan? You have everything to lose and absolutely nothing to gain.
Idle thought: The Michigan Wolverines have a player named Jake Butt. He even caught a touchdown pass against Utah. And guess what position Butt plays? "Tight end", of course. There's some irony in them thar hills. Could it be Butt is destined to eventually marry a Kardashian someday?
Beats me, but their kids couldn't be any worse off than Ohio State coach Urban Meyer naming a future son Oscar. Baloney is a good thing and has its place, but too much is too much.
Kind of like this article. So now, mercifully, it's over.
Tuesday, September 1, 2015
Who's the real Justin Verlander?
Like that old game show (To Tell the Truth) used to ask at the end -- will the real Justin Verlander please stand up? It's difficult to figure out just what's going on with the Detroit Tiger pitcher.
In years past, there is no doubt he was once an ace. Consider a few stats: After a miserable 2008 season (11-17) JV went on a tear.
2009. 19-9.
2010. 18-9.
2011. 24-5, including winning the Cy Young award.
2012. 17-8.
Do the math. For those 4 years, Verlander compiled a 78-31 W-L record for a winning percentage of .716. That's as dominant as it gets in Major League Baseball. Name your Top-3 pitchers of all time and I highly doubt any, much less all of them sported a better winning percentage than .716. That's really good stuff.
But then something happened. In 2013 Verlander would turn in a journeyman type season of 13-12.
Last year, JV went a so-so 15-12, but his ERA spiked as well. 4.54 for a starting pitcher is on the low side of mediocre.
On to 2015. Verlander has started 13 games, and sports a 3-6 record, with a 3.45 ERA. Granted, Verlander likely lost out on a couple wins when the Tigers' batting practice pitchers (sometimes referred to as their bullpen) blew leads late in games. And just recently he came within 3 outs of tossing his third career no-hitter. A very impressive outing indeed.
But that begs a question. Was the almost no-hitter the former ace having returned to form or merely an anomaly? After all, lots of no-hitters have been thrown by pitchers that nobody even remembers. It requires two things. The pitcher has to have really good stuff on that particular day, and every batted ball has to find it's way into a fielder's glove. A certain amount of luck is involved as well.
Earlier tonight against the American League leading KC Royals, Verlander turned in an average performance at best. He gave up 5 runs in 7 innings -- not so good -- and sweated it out while the bullpen barely hung on to preserve his 3rd win of the season. For a guy making $28,000,000 this year, one could easily conclude having only 3 wins going into September means he has either grossly underperformed or is getting paid WAY too much money. A million bucks a start? And he's lost twice as many as he's won? Really?
A few other things have flown under the Verlander pitching radar, but they're there. Once able to deal heat up to 100 MPH, JV rarely tops 95 anymore. Soon to be 33 years old, this number will never go back up again and will erode even further over time. Verlander still possesses a very effective slider, but it seems his once formidable out-pitch -- the split-finger -- has deserted him. For whatever reason, he doesn't throw it anymore. This was a HUGE difference maker in years past, but apparently has fallen by the wayside.
Opposing Major League hitters have no problem catching up with 95 MPH fastballs, and if they guess right on a slider, chances are they'll make decent contact. Like other aging pitchers, Verlander can't blow anybody away anymore. His control is at a premium. If he can't put his pitches in the right spots and keep the batters off-balance, it can be rock and roll time for #35 in the Tiger uniform, and not in a good way.
Reality check. Verlander started off the season with an arm problem. When he first came back, he got rocked. Recently, he's settled back in and pitched well -- not great -- but OK.
So who is the real Justin Verlander these days? Has he still got a few high-priced good years left in him, or is he on the brink of pulling a Tiger Woods meltdown? The Tigers are certainly hoping it's the former, because they're on the very expensive hook for JV's guaranteed mega-contract through the year 2020. That's a whole lot of cheese and pepperoni for owner Mike Ilitch to have to sell.
Closing thought. Enter Elin, see Tiger's career head south. Enter Fastball Flakes, see Justin's career take a nose dive. One must be very careful as to which sort of cuisine/nutrition they partake of these days. Ahem. But I suppose it's all a matter of taste. However, some things are definitely yummier than others......
In years past, there is no doubt he was once an ace. Consider a few stats: After a miserable 2008 season (11-17) JV went on a tear.
2009. 19-9.
2010. 18-9.
2011. 24-5, including winning the Cy Young award.
2012. 17-8.
Do the math. For those 4 years, Verlander compiled a 78-31 W-L record for a winning percentage of .716. That's as dominant as it gets in Major League Baseball. Name your Top-3 pitchers of all time and I highly doubt any, much less all of them sported a better winning percentage than .716. That's really good stuff.
But then something happened. In 2013 Verlander would turn in a journeyman type season of 13-12.
Last year, JV went a so-so 15-12, but his ERA spiked as well. 4.54 for a starting pitcher is on the low side of mediocre.
On to 2015. Verlander has started 13 games, and sports a 3-6 record, with a 3.45 ERA. Granted, Verlander likely lost out on a couple wins when the Tigers' batting practice pitchers (sometimes referred to as their bullpen) blew leads late in games. And just recently he came within 3 outs of tossing his third career no-hitter. A very impressive outing indeed.
But that begs a question. Was the almost no-hitter the former ace having returned to form or merely an anomaly? After all, lots of no-hitters have been thrown by pitchers that nobody even remembers. It requires two things. The pitcher has to have really good stuff on that particular day, and every batted ball has to find it's way into a fielder's glove. A certain amount of luck is involved as well.
Earlier tonight against the American League leading KC Royals, Verlander turned in an average performance at best. He gave up 5 runs in 7 innings -- not so good -- and sweated it out while the bullpen barely hung on to preserve his 3rd win of the season. For a guy making $28,000,000 this year, one could easily conclude having only 3 wins going into September means he has either grossly underperformed or is getting paid WAY too much money. A million bucks a start? And he's lost twice as many as he's won? Really?
A few other things have flown under the Verlander pitching radar, but they're there. Once able to deal heat up to 100 MPH, JV rarely tops 95 anymore. Soon to be 33 years old, this number will never go back up again and will erode even further over time. Verlander still possesses a very effective slider, but it seems his once formidable out-pitch -- the split-finger -- has deserted him. For whatever reason, he doesn't throw it anymore. This was a HUGE difference maker in years past, but apparently has fallen by the wayside.
Opposing Major League hitters have no problem catching up with 95 MPH fastballs, and if they guess right on a slider, chances are they'll make decent contact. Like other aging pitchers, Verlander can't blow anybody away anymore. His control is at a premium. If he can't put his pitches in the right spots and keep the batters off-balance, it can be rock and roll time for #35 in the Tiger uniform, and not in a good way.
Reality check. Verlander started off the season with an arm problem. When he first came back, he got rocked. Recently, he's settled back in and pitched well -- not great -- but OK.
So who is the real Justin Verlander these days? Has he still got a few high-priced good years left in him, or is he on the brink of pulling a Tiger Woods meltdown? The Tigers are certainly hoping it's the former, because they're on the very expensive hook for JV's guaranteed mega-contract through the year 2020. That's a whole lot of cheese and pepperoni for owner Mike Ilitch to have to sell.
Closing thought. Enter Elin, see Tiger's career head south. Enter Fastball Flakes, see Justin's career take a nose dive. One must be very careful as to which sort of cuisine/nutrition they partake of these days. Ahem. But I suppose it's all a matter of taste. However, some things are definitely yummier than others......
Monday, August 31, 2015
Richard Berman. Incompetent or lazy?
Pretty much everybody in the civilized world -- and I use that term loosely -- has been aware of the still on-going Brady v Goodell case, sometimes called Deflategate.
We know the New England Patriots blistered the Indy Colts in the AFC championship game way back in January to the tune of six touchdowns worth in a driving rainstorm. In sportspeak -- it was a blowout.
We also know shortly thereafter a concern was raised as to the possible underinflation of the footballs used by Tom Brady in the first half of that contest. Nevermind his stats were actually better in the second half, when the "error" had been corrected. There were those that pounced. Brady and the Pats had cheated.
Enter Roger Goodell, lord and high master of the NFL, sometimes called the Commissioner. By thunder, he would not tolerate even the slightest perception of hanky-panky going on in his beloved game. So he commissioned one Ted Wells to do a thorough investigation. Six million dollars and two months later, Wells came back with his report. Two hundred pages which, in the end, had come to the earth-shaking conclusion, or non-conclusion, that Brady "was more likely than not to be at least generally aware of some 'wrong-doing'".
Good enough for Roger. He zapped the Patriots with a million dollar fine, took away a couple draft picks, and suspended Brady for the first 4 games of the 2015 season.
To be sure, a million bucks to any NFL owner is chump change, and losing a couple picks isn't the end of the world, especially for a team like the Patriots. Owner Robert Kraft decided to be a league team player and accept the penalties. Initially. But the cheese man would later come to regret it. He had based his decision on the probability Brady's suspension would be reduced, if not totally thrown out upon the appeal that was sure to come. Bad call, Bob.
Brady and the players' union indeed appealed his suspension, but it went right back to the guy that originally imposed it. Denied. In this respect, the players' union is culpable. How dumb did they have to be to sign a collective bargaining agreement that said Roger Goodell could hear and rule on appeals of matters he had already decided on earlier? That's not true arbitration -- it's a kangaroo court. Look for this to change the next time the CBA is negotiated, but it's in play right now.
Having been thwarted by the Commish again, Brady and his minions headed to federal court to seek justice. Enter one Richard M. Berman. Here come da judge. He was faced with quite the dilemma. Though the original Wells report contained no hard incriminating evidence of any wrong-doing by Brady (and their representatives admitted as much under oath), there was and is still the contractual matter of Goodell having been given the authority to decide such matters under the terms of the current CBA. What a mess.
But a lawsuit is a lawsuit. If the two parties can't agree, take it to court and let a judge or jury sort it out. It's their job to do so.
Initially, Berman wanted Brady/Goodell to resolve the matter between themselves. Rather than jump in, he even appointed a mediator to help them hash things out. Didn't work. That was back in July.
On to Plan B. Berman had both sides appear in his courtroom to hear arguments. That was in early August. Didn't work either.
On to Plan C. Bring them together again in the courtroom for another go-around, and even have a long talk "in chambers" with both sides still seeking a compromise. In mid-August. No dice. Then still another hearing just yesterday. Nobody's budging. Both sides are dug in and there will be no plea agreements. One way or the other, it's all or nothing.
But in hindsight, Judge Berman's competence and/or willingness to do his job would seem to be a relevant issue as well.
After all, he's heard the same testimony not once, not twice, but three times, and he STILL hasn't made a decision. Maybe it will come tomorrow, or the next day, or for sure by Friday, says Berman.
Well gee, that would be nice, seeing as how the NFL regular season is on the proverbial doorstep. The Pats still don't know who their starting QB will be and their opponents don't know who to prepare for.
[So here's a suggestion to Judge Richard Berman. Get off thy lazy arse, do thy job you're making big bucks for, and maketh a call.
Translation? Pick one or the other, but give somebody the heater Rickey.
Hell, whatever you say or do will likely be appealed anyway. So what's been the problem for the last couple months? Are you up to this or not?]
Setting his robes on fire would likely be a bit over the top, but somebody at least needs to give this procrastinating clown a judicial hotfoot to get him moving......
We know the New England Patriots blistered the Indy Colts in the AFC championship game way back in January to the tune of six touchdowns worth in a driving rainstorm. In sportspeak -- it was a blowout.
We also know shortly thereafter a concern was raised as to the possible underinflation of the footballs used by Tom Brady in the first half of that contest. Nevermind his stats were actually better in the second half, when the "error" had been corrected. There were those that pounced. Brady and the Pats had cheated.
Enter Roger Goodell, lord and high master of the NFL, sometimes called the Commissioner. By thunder, he would not tolerate even the slightest perception of hanky-panky going on in his beloved game. So he commissioned one Ted Wells to do a thorough investigation. Six million dollars and two months later, Wells came back with his report. Two hundred pages which, in the end, had come to the earth-shaking conclusion, or non-conclusion, that Brady "was more likely than not to be at least generally aware of some 'wrong-doing'".
Good enough for Roger. He zapped the Patriots with a million dollar fine, took away a couple draft picks, and suspended Brady for the first 4 games of the 2015 season.
To be sure, a million bucks to any NFL owner is chump change, and losing a couple picks isn't the end of the world, especially for a team like the Patriots. Owner Robert Kraft decided to be a league team player and accept the penalties. Initially. But the cheese man would later come to regret it. He had based his decision on the probability Brady's suspension would be reduced, if not totally thrown out upon the appeal that was sure to come. Bad call, Bob.
Brady and the players' union indeed appealed his suspension, but it went right back to the guy that originally imposed it. Denied. In this respect, the players' union is culpable. How dumb did they have to be to sign a collective bargaining agreement that said Roger Goodell could hear and rule on appeals of matters he had already decided on earlier? That's not true arbitration -- it's a kangaroo court. Look for this to change the next time the CBA is negotiated, but it's in play right now.
Having been thwarted by the Commish again, Brady and his minions headed to federal court to seek justice. Enter one Richard M. Berman. Here come da judge. He was faced with quite the dilemma. Though the original Wells report contained no hard incriminating evidence of any wrong-doing by Brady (and their representatives admitted as much under oath), there was and is still the contractual matter of Goodell having been given the authority to decide such matters under the terms of the current CBA. What a mess.
But a lawsuit is a lawsuit. If the two parties can't agree, take it to court and let a judge or jury sort it out. It's their job to do so.
Initially, Berman wanted Brady/Goodell to resolve the matter between themselves. Rather than jump in, he even appointed a mediator to help them hash things out. Didn't work. That was back in July.
On to Plan B. Berman had both sides appear in his courtroom to hear arguments. That was in early August. Didn't work either.
On to Plan C. Bring them together again in the courtroom for another go-around, and even have a long talk "in chambers" with both sides still seeking a compromise. In mid-August. No dice. Then still another hearing just yesterday. Nobody's budging. Both sides are dug in and there will be no plea agreements. One way or the other, it's all or nothing.
But in hindsight, Judge Berman's competence and/or willingness to do his job would seem to be a relevant issue as well.
After all, he's heard the same testimony not once, not twice, but three times, and he STILL hasn't made a decision. Maybe it will come tomorrow, or the next day, or for sure by Friday, says Berman.
Well gee, that would be nice, seeing as how the NFL regular season is on the proverbial doorstep. The Pats still don't know who their starting QB will be and their opponents don't know who to prepare for.
[So here's a suggestion to Judge Richard Berman. Get off thy lazy arse, do thy job you're making big bucks for, and maketh a call.
Translation? Pick one or the other, but give somebody the heater Rickey.
Hell, whatever you say or do will likely be appealed anyway. So what's been the problem for the last couple months? Are you up to this or not?]
Setting his robes on fire would likely be a bit over the top, but somebody at least needs to give this procrastinating clown a judicial hotfoot to get him moving......
Sunday, August 30, 2015
Little League World Series. Yuck
Don't misinterpret the title. I love watching little leaguers, especially the really good teams that make it to their World Series. I may well get in trouble for the following, because it is decidedly politically incorrect, but sometimes a rant just needs to come out.
As an American, I'm pretty sure I have the right to root for and against whoever I choose. This can range from politics to sporting events and for a myriad of reasons. I've long found blind partisanship absolutely moronic. Only an idiot would vote for a party instead of the individuals running for various offices.
In sports, I never was a Tiger Woods fan, and think Major League Baseball's treatment of Pete Rose is an on-going outrage. As is the likes of Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens likely being denied their rightful place in the Hall of Fame over drug accusations that were never proven. Ozzie Smith is in the Hall but Allen Trammell is not? How the hell can that be? Number of titles notwithstanding, Lebron James is a FAR superior player than Michael Jordan ever was. Kobe Bryant was a ball hog. Ndamakong Suh was a goon. I'm sick and tired of Serena -- and Shaq's dopey commercials -- and that satellite TV outfit with their something-gone-wrong clones of sports stars -- and some twit selling insurance policies out of shoeboxes at what appears to be a sanitarium -- and ducks and lizards as spokespeople -- and pretty much anything that has to do with politically oriented talk shows. Left, right, what's the difference? They've all lost any shred of objectivity. The truth doesn't matter anymore. Only the ratings, while they continue to preach to their own choirs of narrow-minded zealots. Such blather changes the mind of absolutely NOBODY on either side. 40% are radicals left. 40% are radicals right. These people are useless. Lemmings. It is left to the 20% of independent unbiased people remaining to sort through the horse-bleep and determine the outcome of elections.
Which brings me to this year's Little League World Series. This is where it gets a little dicey. I don't like Japan. It has nothing to do with Pearl Harbor. That was over 70 years ago, long before I was born, and history tells us Japan ultimately paid a very steep price for that bushwhacking. Yet not long after their unconditional surrender, there were those in Japan that adopted a new philosophy. We can't beat the USA from without, but we will eventually defeat them from within. Consider what has come to pass over the decades.
When I was a kid, anything made in Japan was considered to be inferior. And it likely was. But times have changed. In recent decades the Japanese have run most of the American electronics companies out of business. Cameras, sound systems, TVs, etc? Good luck trying to buy an American brand. If you can even find it, chances are it's in name only. The "guts" of such devices are manufactured in Japan.
They take American ideas, miniaturize them, build them cheaper, and export them back to the USA.
Automobiles? Are you kidding? Japan slaps a huge tariff on American imports, but floods the west coast of the USA with their own models -- tariff free. They build plants in the USA but refuse to allow them to unionize -- hence much lower wages and benefits. Recently, both General Motors and Chrysler, once giants of the automobile industry, had to declare bankruptcy, and Ford was teetering. They were under siege from the land of the rising sun. On top of that, the Japanese have succeeded in convincing many Americans that their cars are superior to domestic products. Nevermind the Japanese air-bag company whose devices actually threw shrapnel when deployed, or the exploding tires a while back. Mostly due to slick marketing, they were defeating the Yanks from within indeed.
And then the final slap in the face. A Japanese team just defeated an American squad from Pennsylvania in the finals of the Little League World Series. Though the American boys put up 10 runs early, the little nippers from the far east came storming back to win 18-11. This, in Williamsport, home of the LLWS, which is in Pennsylvania itself. The home crowd was crushed. How can we be ahead 10-2 and wind up getting beat by these heathens from afar?
But such is the way it is these days. WWII is long over, but the Japs have been winning the battles ever since.
Excuse me, but I don't like it one bit.
As an American, I'm pretty sure I have the right to root for and against whoever I choose. This can range from politics to sporting events and for a myriad of reasons. I've long found blind partisanship absolutely moronic. Only an idiot would vote for a party instead of the individuals running for various offices.
In sports, I never was a Tiger Woods fan, and think Major League Baseball's treatment of Pete Rose is an on-going outrage. As is the likes of Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens likely being denied their rightful place in the Hall of Fame over drug accusations that were never proven. Ozzie Smith is in the Hall but Allen Trammell is not? How the hell can that be? Number of titles notwithstanding, Lebron James is a FAR superior player than Michael Jordan ever was. Kobe Bryant was a ball hog. Ndamakong Suh was a goon. I'm sick and tired of Serena -- and Shaq's dopey commercials -- and that satellite TV outfit with their something-gone-wrong clones of sports stars -- and some twit selling insurance policies out of shoeboxes at what appears to be a sanitarium -- and ducks and lizards as spokespeople -- and pretty much anything that has to do with politically oriented talk shows. Left, right, what's the difference? They've all lost any shred of objectivity. The truth doesn't matter anymore. Only the ratings, while they continue to preach to their own choirs of narrow-minded zealots. Such blather changes the mind of absolutely NOBODY on either side. 40% are radicals left. 40% are radicals right. These people are useless. Lemmings. It is left to the 20% of independent unbiased people remaining to sort through the horse-bleep and determine the outcome of elections.
Which brings me to this year's Little League World Series. This is where it gets a little dicey. I don't like Japan. It has nothing to do with Pearl Harbor. That was over 70 years ago, long before I was born, and history tells us Japan ultimately paid a very steep price for that bushwhacking. Yet not long after their unconditional surrender, there were those in Japan that adopted a new philosophy. We can't beat the USA from without, but we will eventually defeat them from within. Consider what has come to pass over the decades.
When I was a kid, anything made in Japan was considered to be inferior. And it likely was. But times have changed. In recent decades the Japanese have run most of the American electronics companies out of business. Cameras, sound systems, TVs, etc? Good luck trying to buy an American brand. If you can even find it, chances are it's in name only. The "guts" of such devices are manufactured in Japan.
They take American ideas, miniaturize them, build them cheaper, and export them back to the USA.
Automobiles? Are you kidding? Japan slaps a huge tariff on American imports, but floods the west coast of the USA with their own models -- tariff free. They build plants in the USA but refuse to allow them to unionize -- hence much lower wages and benefits. Recently, both General Motors and Chrysler, once giants of the automobile industry, had to declare bankruptcy, and Ford was teetering. They were under siege from the land of the rising sun. On top of that, the Japanese have succeeded in convincing many Americans that their cars are superior to domestic products. Nevermind the Japanese air-bag company whose devices actually threw shrapnel when deployed, or the exploding tires a while back. Mostly due to slick marketing, they were defeating the Yanks from within indeed.
And then the final slap in the face. A Japanese team just defeated an American squad from Pennsylvania in the finals of the Little League World Series. Though the American boys put up 10 runs early, the little nippers from the far east came storming back to win 18-11. This, in Williamsport, home of the LLWS, which is in Pennsylvania itself. The home crowd was crushed. How can we be ahead 10-2 and wind up getting beat by these heathens from afar?
But such is the way it is these days. WWII is long over, but the Japs have been winning the battles ever since.
Excuse me, but I don't like it one bit.
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