Resolutions for the Sports World in 2010 January 9, 2010
Posted by Paul in : Uncategorized , trackback
Kisses under the mistletoe are no longer spontaneously occurring. The Xmas trees have been thrown out. And the Holiday Season joviality and overeating have largely subsided. It’s back to business for much of the world. And time for a sobering wake up call. Most of us are not only back to work, but also have decided to look at ourselves in the mirror, and see where we could make improvements in our respective lives. Because the sports world often has a difficult time taking a hard look at itself, I have taken it upon myself to lend a helping hand in this arduous task.
In the few days since the New Year, where my contemplation for this piece has taken place, a lot of grist for my mill has been taken away. Late last year, I could have started my list of resolutions with, “Dan Snyder should stop meddling with his head coach.” Well, as we have it now, the Redskins owner has hired a capable head coach in Mike Shanahan. And those close to the Skins remark that when Snyder has a coach whose credentials he respects, like Joe Gibbs for instance, he steers clear of all football operations. And in Shanahan, he certainly has a man with an impressive resume, and unquestioned credibility in football circles. Another resolution I could have written mid-way through the NFL Season is: “Please tell Tony Romo to start stepping up for his team in December.” That statement has been taken off my table, as Romo has become the toast of the town in Dallas, with a December to remember. The Cowboys QB has put up these outstanding numbers. In the last three weeks, Romo has completed 71 of 106 passes for 909 yards; with four touchdowns and only two picks. One of the two INTs came off a tipped pass. Yet another could have been about Urban Meyer taking it easy on himself. It would seem like he’s already addressing that, with a retirement announcement, that was later recanted for a leave of absence. And I won’t even get into the BCS system conversation. That piece has gotten more than enough discussion over the past couple of years, including recent Presidential intervention. How can I compete with that?
Clearly not all is wrong with the sports universe we all follow. But there are a few portions that can be improved, just like that extra 10 pounds, quite a few of us are carrying around. So, without further ado, and before more potential resolutions can be picked off my plate, here are my recommendations for resolutions for the sports world in 2010.
1) To the Modern Professional Athlete: Turn in your guns. Most of us thought that Plaxico Burress’ case would have served as an example for professional athletes. Somehow, we believed some sense would have been knocked into them. Guns are in no way a good thing to carry around, much less bring to work, particularly in states with tough gun laws. Apparently the message didn’t quite come through loud and clear. Gilbert Arenas is now embroiled in a situation that could leave him with a voided contract, because, at best, he had decided to bring guns to the arena, at home games. At worst, according to certain reports, he was involved in an altercation in the locker room with a teammate, where guns were drawn. Arenas has now been suspended indefinitely by the NBA, as the criminal investigation is still ongoing. Burress is currently serving a two-year prison sentence for figuratively shooting himself in the foot, and literally shooting himself in the thigh, at a crowded Manhattan nightclub. Arenas may be looking at losing a substantial part of his $111 million contract, if the Wizards move to try to get rid of him. But the bigger question is: when will professional athletes understand that carrying guns does not make them cool?
2) Tiger Woods needs to focus on golf. The best way Tiger can face the media onslaught and probing press conference questions is by impressing us on the golf course. His play needs to take the forefront when talking about him. And the only way he manages to do that is by coming back with a furry, and dominating the field like he once did. If Tiger Woods returns to the Tour and struggles, the murmurs about a damaged personal life and deflated public persona will inhabit every gallery and press tent around the golf world. If he wows us with his play, Tiger will convince us that everything is back to normal in his life. The questions about his private life will almost seem out of place, at that point.
3) The 49ers need to find a starting quarterback. The excuses for Alex Smith are getting to be pitiful and insulting to him, even. The Utah alum has been given countless opportunities to succeed. And the only time where he has looked remotely at ease is in his most comfortable surroundings: the spread offense. It has become grand time to find someone who can lead this organization into its next chapter of dominance. Too many positive steps have been taken in the past couple of years to be held back by the team’s signal-caller.
4) To big-time college coaches: do not let your power go to your head. In the past few weeks, two college football coaches have been fired for abusive behavior towards their players. Jim Leavitt of the University of South Florida and Mike Leach of Texas Tech have both been let go because they probably though they were bigger than the programs they headed. Listen, I understand that college sports have become big business. And I understand that the coaches are the most important piece in that equation. Players transition in-and-out in four years or less. The head coach is the emblem of the athletic program, and one of the head evangelists of the university. Quite a few privileges come with that kind of power and responsibility. But could we not forget the most central mission for these coaches? I know it gets a little convoluted, at times. But head coaches are there to instill some life lessons to young men entering adulthood. How is one supposed to set an example when physical abuse is resorted to, in certain situations? Enough said.
5) Baseball Hall of Fame voters should put their feelings aside when deciding whether a player should be allowed into Cooperstown. This sentiment has existed for quite while, as it pertains to the baseball writers in charge of deciding who should get into the Hall of Fame. But it has reached a fever pitch this year, when a player like Roberto Alomar, largely considered a shoe-in for induction, did not make it on the first ballot. Simply put, Baseball Hall of Fame voters act like gatekeepers to Hardball Heaven. Very few players are spared any purgatory before admittance. Often times, baseball writers cannot put their feelings aside when it comes to voting for players. An old grudge will often prevent a writer from voting in a player whose numbers and performances make him a hall-of-fame certainty. That type of “payback” should be closely monitored and punished by some kind of oversight committee, put together by baseball. And I won’t even get into the relevance of having writers as Hall of Fame voters as opposed to other groups (broadcasters, peers, hall-of-famers, etc.), who would make just as much sense, in that role. That type of reform would be too much for Bud Selig and Company to handle, considering their track record….
Comments»
Excellent post (as usual) co-host! I agree with most of your points (1-3) and disagree (to some extent) with your thoughts on 4 and 5. Couldn’t agree more with your take-aways from the Arenas situation and what Tiger needs to do. I concur that the 49ers need to find a new QB to lead them into the future. However, I don’t see that happening in 2010. Alex Smith will be the guy this year. There is a dearth of potential draftees who can fill the void, and similarly the free agent market for QB’s is not very sexy. My advice for the 49ers is to draft a guy like Colt McCoy in the 3rd round and begin to groom him behind Smith next season. This allows Singletary to give Alex Smith one final chance with the continuity (same offensive coordinator for 2 seasons in a row) that he has lacked his entire career. With the 49ers defense being very solid, and playmakers like Frank Gore, Vernon Davis, and Michael Crabtree, there are no more excuses for Smith (although they do need to upgrade the offensive line). If Smith plays well next year and leads them to a 10-6 record and a playoff birth, then maybe he could be the guy for the forseeable future. If you are right and he can’t do the job, then you turn over the reigns to McCoy or someone else in 2011.
As to #4, I agree with you that college football coaches are abusing their power and in some cases like Leavitt are acting heinously. However, I am in the very small minority that does not believe that Mike Leach’s initial actions warranted being fired. While there is still a lot of information for everyone to acquire about this situation, I think Adam James may have been acting like a prima donna who had a sense of entitlement just because his daddy was a good running back for SMU in the 80’s and now works for the Worldwide Leader as an analyst. While Leach’s actions may have been strange (in putting him in a closet), I do not feel that this act alone is that extrodinarily abusive as many believe. He was allowed to bring his phone in there and was in no physical danger. In fact, this “punishment” may be preferable to a lot of athletes over some other forms of common punishments handed out every day by coaches from grade school through professional sports. Many people would rather be forced to stand in a closet rather then run 5 miles or do laps. I think the sports world is overreacting to the actual act that Leach initially committed.
Where Leach got himself in trouble (which goes to your point about college coaches feeling too powerful) is how he handled the situation after he was initially suspended. If he would have apologized to Texas Tech administrators, then he would have gotten a second chance perhaps. However, his actions in trying to get a TRO to allow him to coach in the Valero Alamo Bowl and his defiant stance is what cost him his job. I don’t think Leach’s initial behavior toward Jones is nearly as bad as the disrespect he showed toward his employer after.
I agree with you that there are some instances where baseball Hall of Fame voters are absurd in their gatekeeping measures. Not voting for a guy like Nolan Ryan when he is first eligible because you don’t want him to be a unanimous first ballot Hall of Famer is silly. I agree that there should be some sort of Oversight Committee to watch the voting patterns of the writers and to potentially take away the votes of writers who consistently show bad judgment in denying a Hall pass. I disagree with you when you use Robby Alomar as your example though. I would not have voted for him this year. While normally I don’t respect the idea of making guys “sweat it out”, I have no problem doing so with Alomar. The first thing that many people think of when they picture Alomar’s career is when he spit on an umpire in Toronto. Spitting on someone is truly one of the most despicable and disrespectful actions that one can do. That brought a lot of negative attention to the game. I have no problem with voters punishing Alomar by making him wait a few years to be enshrined in the sport’s Valhalla. I agree that reform is needed (although I agree that it is unlikely under the current leadership), because all too often writers are using their votes as weapons in a final battle of their petty disputes with players they have not liked. However, there are some players that deserve to be suspended in baseball’s purgatory because of actions that they committed that have disgraced the game. I maintain that Alomar is one of those players.
Thanks for your thoughtful response, Co-Host. Let me address your response, point-by-point.
For the Alex Smith situation, I agree with you on what might likely happen. He is probably going to get the starting nod for next year, without any true competition for the gig. However, I don’t believe that’s that they should do. Your statement about not having any other options in free agency or via trade is what I am disputing. There are plenty of quarterbacks (1st and 2nd stringers) out there that I’d rather have than who they have under center right now. I went through the exercise this week, with one of my co-workers at the office, who happens to be a fervent Niners fan. With two mid-level first round picks, the 49ers are certainly in a position where they could trade one of those picks away for a decent other option at quarterback; that could at least compete for the starting job with Smith. Here are some of the QBs I’d rather have than Smith right now, and that could be available, via trade: Brady Quinn, Matt Leinart, Sage Rosenfels, Derek Anderson, Tarvaris Jackson, Chad Henne, JP Losman, Trent Edwards, Dante Culpepper, not to mention Jeff Garcia. And I’m probably even missing some, in this list. The point is, with a little front-office creativity, the Niners could acquire someone else that is a viable choice under center. The unfortunate thing is I don’t feel like they’ll actually execute on something like that. And that, sadly, has been a trademark of the Niners front office all too often in the recent past.
Your point about suspending certain players in purgatory, while understandable, is something I completely and vehemently disagree with. Bad behavior, bad etiquette, unethical acts, even criminal ones should have no impact on whether or not someone is enshrined in the Hall of Fame, in my opinion. I’ve often told you what I have thought about O.J. Simpson (to that an example): that he should have been incarcerated for the double murder of Ron Goldman and Nicole Brown a few years back, while still remaining in the Hall of Fame. People are inherently complicated and complex. We should not be afraid to tell the comprehensive and multi-faceted story. Yes, O.J. was an incredibly violent man, with a history of domestic abuse incidents involving his wife, before finally taking her and Ron Goldman’s lives. And yes, he happened to also be an outstanding running back, during his NFL career. While some of us might not be comfortable seeing that, I believe it will actually help us in the end, in both embracing complexity and not forgetting that our athletes are human beings like the rest of us. We tend to hold them up as our modern day Gods, because they are larger than life, and can accomplish Herculean athletic feats. Look what recently happened with Tiger Woods. A lot of people felt “let down” by the golfing great, when learning of his infidelity. Had we considered him as an outstanding golfer and nothing more, then most of us would have most likely just shrugged off the numerous accounts of affairs he had while married. Alomar’s purgatory is no different than O.J.’s case, in that while his actions were morally reprehensible, he is a hall-of-famer, in the truest sense. Enshrine him immediately, and forget these petty vindications by the writers, which end up only clogging up things in the Hall of Fame induction process.
We will have to agree that we completely disagree on your two points. Your list of potential other QB’s that “you” (and I maintain basically only you) would want to start over Alex Smith is the reason he will start next year. The options you listed are beyond terrible and I (and I believe a strong majority of NFL GM’s) would rather have Smith start next year over most everyone you listed. Did you see Leinert play last week when they got dominated by Green Bay? Sage Rosenfels and Tavaris Jackson? There is a reason why these two guys have never been starting QB’s in the league and the Vikings absolutely had to have Favre. There is no way the 49ers would rather have them over Smith. JP Losman played in the UFL this year and is one of the most inconsistent and turnover prone QB’s in the league over the last decade. He will never be a relevant QB again. He was the 4th string QB on the Raiders (signed as their #3 after Gradkowski was out for the year). Daunte Culpepper is going to get cut by the Lions because he was only their 3rd best QB. He will be completely (and should be) out of football next season. Jeff Garcia would have been a nice option this season, but now hasn’t played in 2 years. The only one on that undignified list of potential QB’s that I would really consider over Smith is Brady Quinn, although he has never proven anything and just may be another Alex Smith. Derek Anderson had one nice fantasy season, but has been brutal ever since and throws the football to the other team more then to his own. I have seen more from Alex Smith then Chad Henne this season, and certainly don’t think that is an upgrade. Your list is the reason why Smith will start next season for the Niners. Do I think he should? Probably not. However, there is a dearth of viable options. I may take a flyer on David Carr (who I actually think may be better then the rest on your list) who is the backup for the Giants, but the fact that I am bringing up that name is sad. Alex Smith will be starting because he is here and any move they would make would be for an Alex Smith type. Someone who is unproven or has proven he can’t do it. I guess Trent Edwards wouldn’t be bad, because he is a nice story as a local kid. However, I don’t think Edwards has done much to distinguish himself from Smith. They have both been subpar starting QB’s who are prone to injury.
As to your Hall of Fame argument, your OJ comparison holds absolutely ZERO validity in my opinion. I agree with your overall premise about indiscretions (or even violence) OFF THE FIELD not effecting someone being enshrined in a Hall of Fame. However, Roberto Alomar spit on an umpire on the field. It was part of his actual baseball career and needs to be judged along with every hit or great play he made. I agree with you that OJ’s football career is completely different then the heinous murders he likely committed and should be judged as such. However, if you do something while you are actually on the field of play, that is relevant (in my opinion) and fair game as to how you should be judged. I have no problem with writers delaying Alomar’s induction based on the fact that they dislike his behavior on the field. That despicable act on the field was part of his career. If Ron Artest was good enough to make the Hall of Fame (which he will not be), then I have no problem with voters taking into consideration when he went into the stands and got suspended for the rest of the season. That is part of his career and should be judged as such. I agree with your overall thoughts on the absurdities of the Hall of Fame voting, however I strongly believe that Alomar should not be the poster child for your illustration of the issue, because his career has warts that weaken your argument.
Co-Host–it might well be tough for the both of us to ever come to an agreement on either point.
On Alex Smith, the key is that he’s been given more chances than many of these names and has certainly not shown he can lead an NFL franchise under center. I don’t care about the many offensive scheme changes he’s had to go through. Most NFL analysts will tell you that schemes vary very little in the league, and that most are somehow related to one another. Smith has shown a little proficiency while running the spread offense. Apart from that, there has been very little for us to chew on. These other guys I’ve listed (for the most part) have demonstrated more flashes of knowing what is going on, and of running an offense more smoothly than Mr. Smith. To me, Alex’s chances have been numerous. He just hasn’t show the competency required to be a starter in the NFL. I can’t say the same about many of the names I’ve listed above. (And even if you could make that argument, I would argue that it would be wise to bring in some competition to camp, just in case, either of us is wrong). Even Tarvaris Jackson who I don’t love as a starter, has shown quite a bit more under center. I’ve watched him play and thought, “okay, given a little seasoning, this guy can put drives together.” I wish I could say the same about Alex Smith, at this point. The other guy I’ll add to the list, which I omitted last time, and could work very well, is Jason Campbell. Some have already said that he may be on the way out in DC with the Shanahan regime moving in. He could make a great addition to San Francisco’s offense, and has already shown the poise necessary to lead offenses to pay dirt time and time again.
As far as the Alomar argument we’ve gotten into, the on-the-field/off-the-field dichotomy carries very little weight, in my mind. Either you have the credentials, accomplishments, performances, and numbers to get you in the Hall or you don’t. Blemishes like poor on-the-field conduct or behavior should not be tabulated, when determining one’s Hall of Fame standing. You are either a great player or you are not, with or without bad behavior between the lines. Do you think that John McEnroe was put through a purgatory of sorts for all of his on court antics? And God knows he’s had quite a few that have been nasty, and that he regrets to this day. The point is, to me, bad behavior and nasty comportment on the court don’t have anything to do with whether or not you are or were a great player. It’s just another attribute that you possess. For that reason, it should in no way play a role in whether you make the Hall of Fame, or whether you serve some time, in some kind of petty purgatory before entering the white pearly gates of Cooperstown.