Show Me The Way, Jose May 23, 2008
Posted by Paul in : Uncategorized , 1 comment so far
It’s no secret that Roger Federer has struggled, at the start of 2008. A few weeks before the Australian Open, he was struck with a bad case of mononucleosis. It was originally diagnosed as the chicken flu, but later was changed to the kissing disease. Since then, the Fed Express has had a tough time building up a head of steam. Roge didn’t have a tournament victory in the first two months of this year, a distinction that hadn’t happened to him since 2000. While suffering only 9 losses last year, the Swiss Maestro has already accumulated 6 through this week’s Masters Series in Rome. Many tennis pundits are whispering the word “slump”, very similarly to the way their goif counterparts had done so a few years ago when describing Nike counterpart and friend Eldrick Woods. Federer insists that everthing is all right; that this is just a momentary blip on his usual serene radar screen. I bought into that theory for the first few months, until Roge suffered unusual losses.
In an era, where top professional athletes surround themselves with handlers and hangers-on, Federer has led an Entourage-free Tour existence for his entire career. He’s not been shy about going months on end with a coach, never mind personal stringer, masseuse, or personal trainer. To a great degree, he’s been a one-man wrecking crew, a solo act, a one-man show, a one-man band. Federer has even attributed part of his success to his “Simple Life” (not to be confused with that god-awful show, starring Nicole Ritchie and Paris Hilton. The closest Roger has ever come to the kind of manual labor the two reality starlets performed was when he was forced to pose for photos after winning his very own cow at his hometown tournament in Basel). His only companion has been former WTA Tour Pro, PR agent, and girlfriend Mirka Vavrinek. She surely has decent feedback for him, as time has gone on. But perhaps has not been the ideal observer, as she is likely far from objective. Haven’t we all said that love turns blind? Could any of us expect our wives or girlfriends to give us the best career advice? Would they be able to give us the tough love necessary to progress? Would they even be able to point out our most salient flaws?
Let’s remember that to be successful at tennis, takes a very single-minded approach. An old and wise coach once told me that making it in the sport took a lot of selfishness and egocentrism. In order to win matches, day-in day-out, (in singles at least), you’ve got to be focused on what will make you and only you play your best. Getting your rest, your proper nutrition, your off-court training gets to be your most important priority. Let’s remember the things that were said about Sampras, the perennial former #1. He lived a cocoon-like existence. He insisted on getting 12 hours a rest per night in complete obscurity. To win in tennis, you’re not focused on how to get your teammate to give his maximum effort, or on improving overall team dynamics. Your job is to continue staring at your navel continuously, and in doing so, making sure to take care of business.
In hiring Jose Higueras, Federer has done many things all at once. Having discussed the partnership at last year’s US Open, Federer pulled the trigger at this year’s TMS Miami, as he was in the midst of a drought. Roddick, who hadn’t registered a win in 11 matches against him, finally got the monkey off his back, partly because Fed played uninspired tennis down the stretch. Most people can continue to tell me that Roger’s struggles are in large part due to the malady he contracted in the early part of the year. I know that mononucleosis can be particularly debilitating to any athlete, much less one who prepares his whole season, during the winter months, only to have it cut short by illness. But I’m having a hard time believing the pundits that tell me that it is the only cause for Federer’s longest slump since he rose to the top of the men’s game. Like all human beings, Roger is suffering from motivational issues. The past couple of years have been as prolific as any put up by the Greats of the Game. It is no surprise that Fed may have a few days where he’d like just kick back, instead of play another minor match in some remote corner of the globe. When motivational issues arise, someone just doesn’t get up for matches, as he once did. What Federer is desperately seeking is someone that will re-engage him with the game of tennis. Someone that will challenge him, in thinking about tennis in novel ways he had never explored. Someone that will help him see the game through different lenses. (Do you think it’s a any coincidence that Roger wins the first tournament he plays with Jose at his side? That’s the reward of being newly engaged.) Higueras is perfectly suited to do just that. As a two-time French Open semifinalist, he’s been hired partly to help Roger get over the hump in Paris, and defeat Nadal on his native surface. Higueras’ strengths are developing conditioning and the nuances of the clay-court game. Let’s not forget the list of pupils that Jose has worked with, in the past. He mentored Jim Courier to the top spot in the men’s rankings in 1992. His impressive list of protégés includes Michael Chang, Pete Sampras, Todd Martin, Carlos Moyà, Sergi Bruguera, Dmitry Tursunov, and Guillermo Coria.
To those that always brandish the “he hasn’t actually done it” card, Coach Higueras had an all-time career high ranking of 6 in 1983.
Don’t let anyone tell you that this hiring is happening at a random time. This is Roger’s attempt, at not only salvaging a sub-par season, but also surpassing it, with what could come down as the biggest win of his career: hoisting the Coupe des Mousquetaires in Paris, this early summer.
Under the Hood with “Country” Joe West May 22, 2008
Posted by Neil in : Uncategorized , 1 comment so farThe instant replay era is upon us. It should be. With HD, DVR’s, IM, virtual reality, and all sorts of technologies popping up on the scene on a daily basis it follows naturally that technology in the form of instant replay would permeate the major North American sports. America’s darling, the NFL, has had replay for some time. While sometimes I don’t know if Mike Carey or Ed Hochuli are actually watching erotic cinema rather than making sure Chad Johnson or T.O. got their feet down inbounds (after all Ed didn’t get such big forearms from just signaling first downs or carrying his briefcase to Superior Court as an attorney), instant replay has been a central component since instituted by the Competition Committee and approved by a vast majority of the owners.
We also have instant replay in the NBA and NHL in limited forms. Bob Delaney, Dick Pavetta, and Joey Crawford can review clock issues and whether a buzzer-beater should count. However, just because the NBA or any sport has instant replay does not mean they will get the call right (just ask Stan Van Gundy and the Magic after they were the victims of officials incompetence in the Palace in Game 2 of their Eastern Conference Semifinal series against Detroit).
The NHL has replays regarding goal-scoring situations, as they go up to the booth to ascertain whether the puck crossed the line, or whether a player purposely re-directed the puck into the net with their skate. We have also seen instant replay flourish in the sport of tennis as the challenge system has become widely popular with fans and almost all pundits, players and even umpires, with the notable dissent of a few tennis traditionalists and one prominent player (I think Roger Federer falls in that category).
But what about baseball? Our national pasttime (I will call it that for those romantics who don’t yet realize that the NFL is the sport that has wrestled away that monikor). This sport with such deep history has been trying to push away these 21st Century advancements and keep away from progress toward getting the calls right in the name of traditionalism.
I am not calling for instant replay on the strike zone, or even regular judgment calls such as whether someone was safe at first on a bang-bang play (although I think it would be cool if each team had one challenge per game on such calls and the strategy surrounding when to exercise said judgment would even heighten the strategical enjoyment of what makes baseball so great, especially in the postseason). Without a doubt, I feel that instant replay should be applied and available to home run determinations.
We have seen so many examples of important home run calls that have been improperly arbitrated by umpires (although I am not going to mention any further the DJ opposite field home run in Game 1 of the AL Championship Series in 1996 when Jeffrey Meier stole the ball away from Tony Tarasco). Just this week, we have seen a blown call in the Subway Series on Sunday Night Baseball on Carlos Delgado’s opposite field HR off the fair pole, the Cubs Geovany Soto who hit one out in Houston and had to secure himself an inside-the-park HR since it wasn’t ruled out of the park, and last night A-Rod hit what should have been another A-Bomb, but it was ruled a double.
Last November, general managers voted 25-5 in favor of replay on “boundary calls.” These calls would include whether homers are fair or foul, if the ball clears the fence, and determinations of fan interference. The recommendation went to everyone’s favorite commish Bud Selig. However, there was no time frame placed on the recommendation and no means for implementing it.
I was happy to hear today that MLB may be utilizing instant replay in the Arizona Fall League. Hopefully, this will be a springboard for it to be used in the major leagues in the next few seasons. It is yet to be determined who will make the determination after reviewing the play. No matter how it is implemented this is a good step for the game. Whether it is Laz Diaz or Joe West going under the hood (which I doubt will happen) or a replay official in a booth (more likely) making the call, I think we are getting progress from the Grand Ol’ Game if technology and replay are utilized.
Let Me See That Thong May 21, 2008
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We played Sisqo’s “Thong Song” on Your Sports NightCap last night. I am almost mortified to write that. I am more disenfranchised that the reason we played it is because my favorite baseball team is 5 games under .500 and instead of winning baseball games against also-rans like the Orioles, the Bronx Bombers unusual undergarmant selection is forefront on the NY media’s mind.
While I don’t like to see the Yanks struggle, hearing about their remedies for such rough patches sure is juicy. It came out last week that Jason Giambi has a penchant for sporting a gold thong when his struggles at the plate reach desperate proportions (which is basically his entire tenure with the Pinstripes). While such antics are not that shocking from a character such as Giambi (who resembled a fraternity president/master when he was leading the A’s), it is more riveting to me that Johnny Damon and especially Derek Jeter have tried the same fashion when they find themselves in despair.
While women around the world probably wouldn’t mind catching DJ suiting up in a racy piece of clothing that leaves his backside exposed to the elements (do you think he borrowed one from Mariah, sorry Nick Cannon), as a Yankee fan it inspires even less confidence in the overpaid bunch that they have to resort to such measures. I would expect this from ARod or Farnesworth, but not the “Captain.” What is next, Bernie Williams used to shave his legs after an 0-for-4. Mariano Rivera gets a bikini wax after a blown save.
I have a solution to turn this 2008 Yankees season around. In addition to getting Jorge and A-Rod healthy, lets have the Yankees spend some money in a different place rather than trading for an aging superstar that will fail during the stretch drive. The answer to the Yankees problems is simply their choice in underwear. While of course I am all for thongs, I think a true champion should be wearing a pinstriped leopard print one.
The Round Mound is Sure to Rebound May 15, 2008
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The latest gambling story emanating from Sin City has as its centerpiece a TNT Analyst the nation has grown to love. A man who has been able to say just about anything publicly without the slightest hint of repercussion. Apparently, Chuckster has not taken it upon himself to pay back the Wynn Casino for some markers they had loaned out to him, this past October. The total tab amounts to $400K. No question this is quite a bit of cash for most anybody. But not someone like Charles Barkley. In 2006, the Round Mound told us that he had a gambling problem similar to that of John Daly. His had only cost him $10 million compared to Daly’s estimated $50 to $60 million.
Let’s face it, a lot of professional athletes had gotten into the arena of intense competition for the simple thrill of it. They were lucky to be good enough at it, to make money from this (pre-)occupation. The adrenaline rush became their drug. Each new victory a new high. And each defeat, a low point mimicking the crash of one’s seratonin levels. Most athletes need to get their competitive fix. But there are some that need it more than others. After retiring, Michael Jordan was seen playing high-profile poker in Las Vegas. His Airness became a golf junkie that would bet the equivalent of a high yearly salary on one hole, just to get his adrenaline going. Phil Mickelson is said to have recently settled sizable debts he had marinating with Las Vegas casinos. We’ve often talked about athletes having a hard time transitioning out of sports gracefully and into a productive realm of society. One of main reasons why is this: they can’t quite get the same highs in the boardroom, or on a television set. 80,000 fans are not chanting your name anymore as you rush onto the field. You lead a relatively anonymous life, after having been the toast of the town. How would you expect anyone to handle that?
Now please don’t expect me to cry Barkley a river. Don’t get me wrong, an addiction to gambling is nothing to take lightly. But a few years ago, Sir Charles told us that he had a gambling problem but that he probably wouldn’t stop what he termed was a “bad habit”. The man was not in denial then, but decided to keep it up nonetheless. Do you expect me to get upset about his choosing to continue to fatten the already porcine gambling establishments he frequents?
The biggest reason why I probably will never cry Barkley a river is because the former basketball star has so much earning potential, even at this stage of his life. Much like John McEnroe with tennis, he’s managed to stay in the limelight, and has remained almost as relevant as when he was when playing; which is nearly impossible to do and is a testament to his intelligence. As an NBA Analyst for TNT, Chuck is a star on what is considered by many to be the best sports studio show on television right now. Not only is he paid handsomely by Turner Broadcasting, but he’s incredibly visible. Any time the network carries a game, you will see Charles doing his thing on that colorful set. Constant exposure means additional opportunities for endorsements. We’ve certainly seen that come to fruition ad nauseam, in T-Mobile spots that have been incessantly shoved into our living rooms and down our throats by Ted Turner’s Cable Network. The commercials play off the fact that Barkley is perhaps bored in retirement. After obtaining Dwayne Wade’s number and inserting it in his Fave5, he calls the Miami Heat star all-too frequently. The ads are cute, and play off the mentor-protégé generational gap that exists between the two basketball stars.
That’s not the beginning of his career options. It’s been years that the former 76er has intimated that he’d like to become Governor of Alabama. A native of rural Leeds, he’s often said that his home state held a special place in his heart; that he’d like to be the one to bring about positive change in a relatively poor State. One of the things that has been often talked about, with Chuck, is a certain Teflon quality that most politicians would only dream of… Whether it’s on a television set, on the radio airwaves, or in public, Charles has never been shy about sharing his raw opinion on just about any topic. His candor has made him great as a broadcaster and television personality. Even in the times he strays from the usual topics, and says something that would banish most, in his high-profile public job, Charles seems to bounce back up. He can bring up the most politically-charged topics, and have a controversial viewpoint. And most people will forgive the former Sun, and say, “That’s just Charles being Charles.” Recognizing that in him, Barkley has smartly make outlandish and outrageous comments repeatedly. And each time, audiences around the country are not baffled. They give him the benefit of the doubt, and at times even applaud his theatrics. Charles stays present in everyone’s minds and continues to move the proverbial needle.
Whatever Barkley decides to do, one thing is certain: he’s very talented. It’s no secret how he’s transformed himself into a media star. Apart from his refreshing candor discussed above, the man is quick-witted, incredibly funny, self-deprecating, easy-going, charismatic, smart, and opinionated. Once-known for his gritty post presence and his uncanny ability to rebound on the basketball hardwood, the Round Mound of Rebound will bounce back from this latest incident in no time. Consider it a momentary blip on his radar screen…
[Note: In the time I’ve taken to produce this piece, Barkley has already addressed this situation publicly, blaming himself for the faux pas and vowing to pay his debt immediately.]
Hold the Mayo May 12, 2008
Posted by Neil in : Uncategorized , 1 comment so farNews came out this weekend that former USC Trojan phenom OJ Mayo received thousands of dollars in clothes, cash, and other benefits while in high school and during his one year at Troy. Mayo allegedly accepted $30,000 in cash and gifts over the past 4 years from a Los Angeles event promoter named Rodney Guillory. These gifts included meals and airline tickets, hotel rooms, cell phone service, a flat-screen for his dorm room, and other assorted prizes.
According to ESPN, Guillory was allegedly getting monthly payments from the Northern California sports agency Bill Duffy Associates (BDA). It is alleged that BDA provided Guillory with pver $200,000 before Mayo arrived to play for Tim Floyd, and that Guillory gave a portion to Mayo. In exchange, it is contended that Mayo made an agreement to sign with BDA upon his inevitable departure for the NBA.
Does any of this surprise anyone? I would have been shocked if OJ Mayo was not paid handsomely for his one-year Hollywood stop in Tinsel Town. From the day that the overhyped Mayo signed with USC, I always wondered why a West Virginia kid would end up coming to play at a football school like USC. Sure, I could understand him coming out West to play for perennial Pac-10 powers like Arizona or USC’s superior crosstown rivals who inhabit Pauley Pavilion. Why USC? They have a checkered basketball past with not much going for them besides the city they reside in. The two things they do have are the beautiful new Galen Center and a charismatic former NBA coach in Tim Floyd. However, I could never understand why Mayo would spurn every college (at least that he could academically qualify for) to come and play for an average Pac-10 school 3,000 miles from his home.
The answer is money. Both the direct payments and gifts he has received over the past couple of seasons, as well as the exposure he got for being the man on a team from the glitsy city that can turn any man into a star if he gets the right break, but is automatic gold for one with a jump shot, handles, and the charisma of Mayo. This city provides lucky breaks for anyone named OJ, some may say that you can even get away with murder in this town if you have that name and have some game to back it up.
Mayo won’t pay the price for his indiscretions at all. He will move onto the league and in my opinion be picked in the top 7 and go on to have a very solid career (but not nearly as good a one as the hype that surrounded him coming out of high school). Much like his football counterpart Reggie “I am enthralled by Kim Kardashian’s” Bush (actually rump to be more precise, because even John David has to agree that she has one great Booty), who came, saw , and conquered USC and college sports (to a much greater degree than Mayo), OJ will leave in his wake a disaster that may and should bring the USC Athletic Department to its knees.
Tim Floyd, Mike Garrett, and USC need to pay the price for letting this go on. Not the death penalty like one former YSNC guest is advocating, but hard and swift justice. I would advocate a 3 year ban from postseason play, and taking away a couple of scholarships. That would be enough to cripple a program that still has a lot going for it with the likes of Taj Gibson, Daniel Hackett, and others that have been solid contributors to back-to-back NCAA tourney teams. I also think Mike Garrett should take a stand and fire Tim Floyd. He will never take that stand with his own beloved Pete Carroll and his precious pigskin program. I think that would be the wise thing for him to do as well. Come down hard on your ugly step-sister of a basketball program in order to provide smoke and mirrors to the real factory that is churning out NCAA violations between the hashmarks. Avoid a big NCAA inquiry into either program by having your roundball bridesmaids take the fall for the whole department.
Lastly, we are going to be seeing a whole lot more of this in NCAA basketball over the foreseeable future. Sure, it has always been around to some degree. It will be exacerbated as a direct result of the NBA age limit. Now that kids like Oden, Durant (not that they received anything other than great exposure during their one year in the NCAA sun) Mayo, Beasley, and others that would be lottery picks out of high school are forced by David Stern and company for the good of the NBA product (which I do agree helps from the Association’s perspective, although I have a problem with the rule from a constitutional, labor, and right-to-work issue) to spend one year at fraternity parties as “student-athletes” (that has to be the most laughable term in the NCAA’s hilarious bylaws and other oxymoronic language they use), we will continue to see these scandals grow.
These automatic one-and-done phenoms have no reason (except for thier undeveloped teenage morality) to not accept every girl, dollar, and gift that comes their way during the “college experience.” They will be off to the greener and protected pastures of the Association by the time the sh*t hits the fan and their alma mater suffers in their wake. USC should be punished and made an example of. However, no matter what a school or great coach does, these one-year wonders are going to get theirs and there is not much (or any) institutional control that can be maintained by college administrators or NCAA officials from their lofty ivory towers. The only choice is to pass on those special freshman phenoms who you know will only be going to your school for one season (and one green reason). If you don’t want scandal at your school, next time you are ordering off the menu of an appetizing recruiting class, make sure to hold the Mayo.
These Sharks Have Enough Bite May 8, 2008
Posted by Neil in : Uncategorized , 1 comment so farThe season is over for the San Jose Sharks. Once again, high expectations entering the postseason leads to bitter disappointment and a premature exit before the Conference Finals. Last year, the Sharks lost in Game 6 of the Western Conference Semifinals, this year the Sharks lost in Game 6 of the Western Conference semifinals. Nothing changed, right?
While Sheldon from the Big Bang Theory may argue that logically this Sharks team is just as guilty of failing to advance deep into the playoffs (and maybe even more so with even greater expectations after a Pacific Division title and an incredible unbeaten March), after observing this team during the last two postseasons I have come to a different thesis that may be more apt for Penny or at least Leonard (he has some humanity in him compared to his emotionally-dead but ultra-IQ roommate) to understand.
I sat in the stands with my co-host Paul drinking suds whuile watching Game 6 last year against the Red Wings at the Tank. The Sharks gave up a goal, and then another in the second period and down 2-0 to the Dominator, the air was completely out of the previously frenzied building and the team listlessly drifted off toward the offseason. The team exhibited no heart and fortitude, which are two of the most important ingredients in the concoction of a team that will lift Lord Stanley’s Cup.
Fast forward to last Sunday. The Sharks still lost in Game 6 of the 2nd round, but they did so in very different fashion. In Game 5 against the Stars at home, the Sharks were down 2-0 heading into the 3rd period and the Shark Tank had the same feeling it did in that final game agiat the Wings last year. However, the Sharks rallied, sent the game into overtime, and refused to let their season end on the choppy ice of HP Pavilion.
They went to Dallas and got into an OT in Game 6. If they would have won this Game 6, I am supremely confident that they would have won Game 7 in San Jose and would have been the first NHL team since the 1975 NY Islanders to rally from a 3-0 series deficit. They fought hard deep into the night and early morning, and led by Evgeni Nabokov (what a save on Richards) refused to have their season end. Mitchell and JR created scoring opportunities and it was a game for the ages (including the 8th longest game in NHL history).
While Joe Thornton did have chances, he didn’t create enough. While he is one of the greatest creators in recent memory in the NHL, he doesn’t step up as a superstar must in the playoffs and take over games (aka Franzen in Detroit, or Malkin or Crosby in Pittsburgh). He blends in, and tries to be too cute with the puck. While his passing wizardry may make him an annual Hart Trophy candidate in the regular season, playoff OT hockey is different. Once you get to this wonderful and maddening (and the most exciting way to end any sport in my opinion) phenomenon called sudden death playoff OT, you have to play what I have coined Costco hockey. You have to put the puck on net in bulk. Any chance throw it up there and hope for a fluke or at least a rebound leading to another chance. You have to give your self as many chances (good or bad) as possible, because you never know if there will be another chance. Especially when you face elimination as the Sharks did the other night.
Sharkies, you still lost in round 2, but I am actually proud of you this offseason. I hate to call it this, but the playoffs (especially in the NHL) are a crapshoot. Calgary easily could have beaten the Sharks, but the Sharks easily could have beaten the Stars. Start another 7 game series tonight between San Jose and Dallas and I give the team in teal at least a 50% chance of winning.
That leads to my last point, DON’T BREAK UP THIS TEAM! Doug and Ron Wilson must stay (and will) and this team with a star such as Thornton and tremendous young role players and emerging stars such as Pavelski will have a great chance to hoist the Cup sometime in the next 3 years. The Sharks have been and will continue to be one of the top 5 teams in the entire league, and if this team as currently constituted stays together, they have every bit as good a chance as anyone else to bring a championship to West Santa Clara Street.
Houston: Your Rocket Has a Problem… May 6, 2008
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Forget sports. If anything should have been the clear lesson from the few major media stories, it’s been this: if a holier than thou figure dares tell you how you should run your life, they probably have a darker side than we can even fathom. It’s happened time-after-time, this annum, and anyone that still hasn’t grasped this important lesson, should look themselves in the mirror, or get themselves checked out. Roger Clemens is only one in a long-line of once-proud public figures that used to stand on their soap boxes until we found out that they were the largest hypocrites of all.
Eliot Spitzer, who once told us he’d clean up the State of New York with his hard-stance politics, was caught with an extremity in a high-class prostitution ring, spending away many of his hard-earned bucks on a call girl we now know as Ashlee Dupree. LaVern Jordan, founder of Parkway Christian School, was recorded by a Houston investigative reporting team, making his own indecent proposal: offering a mother to wave his school’s $300 enrollment fee for the woman’s daughter, against explicit sexual favors. Roger Clemens, once-proud American, had conducted a pre-meditated lobby on Capitol Hill, leveraging his star power in meetings with members of Congress, before appearing in front of them, just a few days later. He vehemently denied his involvement in steroids and HGH, and continues to do so, despite substantial incriminating evidence. His PR campaign in the court of public opinion relied on one thing: reinforcing his image as a stand-up American with good ol’ fashioned family values.
Last week, the New York Daily News broke a story that would change all that: Clemens has been romantically linked with unstable country singer Mindy McCready. Not only had the Rocket thrown his wife Debbie under the bus, in front of Congress, by telling us that she (and not he) had injected HGH for a photo shoot, but now, he had been seen with another woman for years. Any grounding that may have been laid down in Clemens’ favor, started eroding very quickly.
Reports out of Houston are telling us that most people in that city are supporting their former hero. Now, how shall I put this delicately? As I writing this from San Francisco, I do fully remember that Roger’s batting analog–Barry Bonds–had once found refuge in this area, while having been completely vilified in every single other city in the nation. But you would hope that fans would learn a lesson from that. Just a few months removed from a milestone season, any trace of #25 has been completely sanitized from AT&T Park. You would hope that Houston would understand this simple fact: they’ve been duped like the rest of the nation for years now, by their favorite son. It’s time for disillusionment: realize that you’ve been backing the wrong guy, and move on with your lives. It’s become clear that he’s had extra-marital affairs, has lied under oath, and has tinkered with the integrity of the game, by taking performance-enhancing drugs. Continuing to back such a human being (if you can call him that), only affects your ability to be taken seriously as an American city and market. The rest of the nation had every right to ridicule the Bay Area for backing Bonds, and they’ve got every reason to do the same when it comes to Houston and Clemens…
Let’s face it, folks. The old cliché stands: the world is not white or black, but is made up of many different shades of gray. We’ve all done things that we later regret. Let’s all remember that we’re only human beings. We get up everyday, and each one of us puts our pants on the same way: one leg at a time. If you ever hear anybody in your immediate circle preaching morality, you now know that they’re probably trying to repress their own demons by projecting their cause onto others. As the Rocket’s fuselage starts dismembering, please keep this mind: the next time a moralist gets on his high horse to lecture, he probably has more than a few skeletons in his closet… Just give it time, and they’ll come out all by themselves like they would on All Hallow’s Eve.
Rafa’s Rant May 4, 2008
Posted by Paul in : Uncategorized , 1 comment so farRafael Nadal’s day-old rant against the ATP Tour scheduling should be considered anything but surprising.
http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/tennis/news/story?id=3376347
The usually shy Majorcan has finally decided to leverage his status as one of the game’s elite, to pronounce himself on the ridiculousness of the ATP Schedule due to the Olympics this year. For several years now, the ATP has heard complaints on the absurdity of the scheduling.
The voice (and some would say the conscience) of tennis, John McEnroe, has repeatedly told us that the overloaded schedule has not only put a tremendous strain on the players’ bodies, but it has also precluded us from seeing them play their best at some of the top stops of the tour schedule. As a fervent tennis fan, there are several dates you circle on your calendar: the Slams, the Masters Series tourneys, the key Davis Cup ties, and your local tournament. When you expect certain players to play at their very best because of the circumstances and build-up surrounding any given match, you would hope, as a consumer of the sport, that you would get rewarded with contests that not only meet, but surpass expectations. Unfortunately, in recent years, that hasn’t always happened. Some players simply don’t show up in big matches, because they’re both mentally and physically worn out from a long season that has taken a toll on their minds and bodies. It’s a prevalent problem that the ATP has not come close to addressing. Certain stops don’t want to give their tournaments back to the Tour. Certain long-term sponsorship deals tie down other tournaments for several years down the road. The fact is: we’ve talked about reducing the load, but nothing significant has been done of late…
The Olympics: An Exhibition in Mediocre Tennis
I’ve always had a hard time believing Andre Agassi when he’s told us that winning an Olympic Gold rivaled any of the Grand Slams that he has conquered in his illustrious career. I fully grasp the family dynamics: his father Mike had gotten the same medal in the Sweet Science, many decades ago. There’s a certain family heritage, there, that is passed on from one generation to the next.
But I still don’t know if I’m being romanced by Andre The Showman, because I’ve had trouble buying his assertion, since he first uttered it. Since tennis came back as a medal sport in 1988, it has been little more than an exhibition in mediocre tennis. The players that do show up to the Games are looking more for the Olympic Experience than the monk-like fortnight you’ve got to put yourself through to win a Slam. They’re looking to be the flag-bearers for their countries, partake in those prolonged Opening Ceremonies, and take a large page out of the Bode Miller Handbook on how to maximize one’s Olympic Involvement. Tennis has much bigger events on its yearly calendar, and some players and top figures have made no bones about it. Andy Roddick has already pulled out, favoring his US Open preparation on the hard courts of the Legg Mason Classic, in Washington DC. US Team Captain Patrick McEnroe has said that his already-heavy summer schedule will preclude him from giving the event a fair shake. Translation: “I’d rather do the extent of my TV work in the United States, and not have to travel to an overcrowded event in China.”
Don’t get me wrong, Rafa’s pronouncements are not without a tinge of personal motives. The perennial #2 has had recurring foot problems, including a stress fracture, that he’s decided to play through on more than one occasion. Any casual observer will notice that the Spaniard’s style of play is more physically taxing than the effortless fluidity that Roger Federer displays every time he takes the court. However, for a guy this young, and this physically fit to have recurring issues, is worrisome, to say the least. It can also be considered a viable motive for his recent remarks. But those who would dare play the ad hominem card, should be dismissed as quickly as an Andy Roddick delivery. The issue is a tour-wide quandary, not an individual one, and has yet to be resolved. For the first time, the young dirt-baller has finally asserted himself on the subject and asked for corresponding changes. He’s not the first, nor will he be the last to make his voice heard on the topic, until the appropriate initiatives are put into action. This may well be the single biggest assignment Etienne de Villiers gets judged against, when all is said and done.
Will the savvy Frenchman be able to reduce a calendar that has many of his players overworked, and his fans suffering of tennis-fatigue? Will a true tennis off-season ever be instilled, that would enable players to both recharge their batteries, and truly work on the weaker parts of their game? Today’s tennis landscape is dilute with play all over the world. Let’s distill it so we ensure that the world’s elite play their very best, at the biggest moments.
Baked Zit(o) May 1, 2008
Posted by Neil in : Uncategorized , 1 comment so farParaphrasing from the former legendary and gregarious coach of the Stanford Cardinal, Minnesota Vikings, and most recently Arizona Cardinals, the 2008 San Francisco Giants “are who we thought they were.” Despite a nice early season start by Fred Lewis and Benjie Molina (although it is a flat-out embarrasment that he hits cleanup on any major league team), the Giants struggle mightily to score runs every night and rely on the young arms of Tim (”Pre-cum”) Lincecum, Matt (”Citizen”) Cain, Jonathan Sanchez, and Brian Wilson to close the proceedings.
One thing that is not shocking this season is that Barry Zito struggled in the month of April. I think we all expected that to some degree. However, the depths of his fall from grace is even 10 times as severe as the most outspoken critic of the 7 year, $126 million dollar contract that the Black and Orange inked him to before last season. Sure, Zito struggled last season. Even the most negative of scout or baseball pundit predicted that Barry may have another subpar season, but surely not much worse than his 2007 campaign.
Instead, the eclectic, hip, and engaging southpaw is redefining baseball history. Forget Mike Hampton, Kevin Brown, and other pitchers who have taught us that signing pitchers to long-term deals of 7+ years and 100+ million years is the baseball equivalent of having unprotected sex with a mildly attractive prostitute, its dangerous and the risks just aren’t worth the very few seconds of pleasure you may reap from the expensive exchange.
However, while you can chalk up those two hurlers paltry production to injury and age, Barry Zito signed with the Giants in the prime of his career and has never missed a start due to injury. He was a former Cy Young Award winner who didn’t blow hitters away, but instead baffled them and kept them off balance with his ability to change speeds and throw one of the nastiest 12 to 6 deuces of anyone that has toed the bump in recent vintage.
One issue that is not brought up enough is that Zito had started his downward slide while in his last couple of years with the A’s. It wasn’t as dramatic as it has been since he switched sides of the Bay, but rough outings certainly weren’t an uncommon occurrence in #75’s last couple years in Green and Gold. One of the reasons I believe is the departure of Rick Pederson to the Mets. While Pederson largely crafted and honed the skills of the Big Three of Zito, Mark Mulder, and Tim Hudson, I think his departure with Art Howe many years ago to Shea Stadium has produced a precipitous slide for the two lefties he weened through the A’s organization. Both Zito and Mulder have been shells of their former A’s selves since moving on to greener pastures, although in different ways. Mulder has struggled with injury (and ineffectiveness to some degree), but Zito’s fall from grace is purely confidence.
With Lincecum, Cain, and Sanchez representing the future and present of the Giants, I thought depsite his enormous contract, in the media-lite (at least as far as ferocity) Bay Area, Zito could become the de facto #4 pitcher in the rotation and blend into the fray with a 12-12 type record and a mid 4 E.R.A. While certainly he would always have the contract hanging over his head that would make his mediocrity fodder for the discerning national pasttime enthusiast, the average fan in Northern California would say he is a decent pitcher that is a good community guy, and is someone you want around your ball club. Alyssa Milano may not date a .500 pitcher, but millions of other girls from Cali would line up at the metrosexual Zito’s adobe in hopes that he would serenade them with his guitar.
Instead, the thing that is the most shocking about Brian Sabean’s boys this spring is not that they are creeping up on .500 (which is fairly amazing), but that Zito is truly as pathetic on the mound as he is. He became just the 3rd starter in baseball history to lose 6 games before the end of April, and the Giants cried uncle pulling Zito off his 36 loss pace and sending him down to the bullpen and calling up Pat Misch to start Friday in Philly.
I think things will eventually turn around for Barry, and I hope they do. Unlike the other Barry that has been the banter of this town for the last 15 years, this Barry has redeeming qualities as an individual. He may be able to pull himself up, return to the rotation, and finish out his contract (no team will trade for him) with class and some degree of respectability (however he will never win 20 games a year as a man receiving his paycheck should).
The thing that Zito must realize is how lucky he truly is. No, I don’t mean the boilerplate things such as how fortunate he is to be making so much money and playing in the major leagues. He should thank himself every day for waking up and playing in California rather than in NYC (with the Mets or Yankees) or in Philly, Boston, or any other eastern seaboard suitor he had 2 offseasons ago.
If he would have pitched like he has over the past 2 seasons (he probably would have performed even poorer if that is even possible) in New York, this story of him being demoted would be so much bigger. The last 13 months would have been unbearable even for the guy who makes many things (except pitching now) look so cool and easy.
Barry, there is nothing wrong with being the highest-paid long reliever in baseball history. Things could have been so much worse. Be proud every two weeks when that large direct deposit comes in. You may never be a relevant major league pitcher and be vying for the affection of Hollywood starlets, but at least you are in a place where everyone for the most part will give you a pass unlike the hawks and vultures that would now have been done picking at your corpse had you decided to move across the country instead of across the Bay just a year ago.
