Category Archives: Sports

Murray State keeps racing on

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We are near the end of January of 2012, and there is only one undefeated team left in all of Division I basketball. One must think, it has to be one of the annual powerhouses, right?  Teams like Duke, Syracuse, UNC or Kansas? Wrong. Last night, Syracuse, the number one team in all of college basketball, fell to Notre Dame, 67-58, in one of the most surprising upsets in all of college basketball this year. Syracuse was one of the two remaining unbeatens, and no one in this world would have ever guessed who the other unbeaten would be… Now prepare yourself for this: The Murray State Racers.

Now, let me ask the question that all the readers are asking. WHO? The Murray State Racers are now 20-0 this year, with their last victory over Southern Illinois University of Edwardsville last night. Now trust me, I’m no bandwagon, but you have to respect any team that is undefeated at this point in the year, whether it is mighty Syracuse or mid-major (if you can call them that) Murray State. Murray State did make a splash in the 2010 NCAA tourney, beating Vanderbilt in the first round and narrowly losing to Butler, who went on the Cinderella Story journey by losing to Duke in a photo finish game in the Championship game. Other than that, no one really knows about Murray State and what they have done. They don’t have the élite schedule that most top teams have, but what sticks out to me is that they have beaten a ranked team, which was Memphis. They won’t face another ranked team for the rest of the regular season, but when you face a ranked team and beat them when you have the chance to is rather impressive to me.

Now I will admit, I am a fan of the Racers at this point, but there are some naysayers. For example, my dad says they should not even be ranked at this point because of the weakness of their schedule. I argue that they have beaten a ranked team and they beat Morehead State, who ousted Louisville in the first round of the Tourney last year. Now obviously, other than Memphis, they don’t have much competition, but here is my point of view on it. I highly doubt that the high ranked teams want to play a team like Murray State, which would most likely hurt their strength of schedule, which is crucial to the seeding in the Tournament. That isn’t Murray State’s fault. It isn’t their fault that they aren’t a big name team. But most importantly, it isn’t their fault that the teams that they have faced have not been able to beat them.

Finally, I come to my conclusion. I’m not vying for Murray State to be a number one seed. I’m not saying they’re going to win the March Madness tournament. All I’m saying is that you have to respect a team that is undefeated this far into the season, whether it is the powerhouses, or in this case, the Murray State Racers. I think that a small name school being the only undefeated team in Division I basketball is, quite frankly, amazing and inspiring. So go ahead and do your thing, Murray State, you now have my, and the rest of the nation’s, undivided attention.

 

The Paterno Interview: Sorry, not buying it, Joe

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I know many good people who want to let bygones be bygones, and give Joe Paterno a free pass on the Jerry Sandusky affair. Indeed, he fulfilled his “legal” obligation back in 2002 when he notified superiors that one of his direct reports had witnessed a child being raped in Penn State’s Lasch Football Building. And think of all the great things that JoePa did while he was coach: The stellar achievements on the field, the academic records that his boys set, the lives that were changed by going through the “football program” at Penn State, etc. And there are the donations the Paterno’s have made to the University over the years. After all, the library bears his name, as does the campus spiritual center. 61 years at Penn State. Unreal. And then this: The All-Time Winningest coach in NCAA history.

He’s 85 now, with lung cancer and a broken pelvis. He sits in a wheelchair, trying to heal as he goes through chemo treatments. His wife is devoted and they have a loving, solid marriage with lots of great-grandchildren to dote on.

Yes, all the factors that I’ve just mentioned weigh heavily on a public that wants to forgive an elderly man for the mistakes he’s made. We are a forgiving people, as God forgives us daily for our sins and He has taught us to turn the other cheek time after time when we are being sinned against. Yet we are torn, we want to forgive but…

JoePa, in an interview today with the Washington Post, indicated he wished he had done more than he did when he heard of the rape in 2002. He said he had never heard of an instance of the rape of another man before this and he had no idea what his response was supposed to have been. He also said his assistant was reluctant to share all the details with him at the time.

His assistant came to him on a Saturday. Joe didn’t call his superior until Sunday. A meeting was set up with the campus police chief and the school’s athletic director. In the meeting, Joe’s  assistant was more forthcoming, according to the story. He said he had been reluctant to be more graphic with Joe out of respect for the then 75-year-old coach.

(Authors Note: Read the interview here: http://wapo.st/xycCKB)

Jerry Sandusky has been charged with 50 counts of sexually abusing young boys over a 15 year time span. Jerry was Joe’s assistant coach for the Penn State football team for 30 years, from 1969 to 1999. Sandusky ran a youth foundation, called Second Mile, in addition to his duties as coach. In fact, Sandusky only retired from his football position after he found out that he would not succeed Paterno as PSU’s coach. After he retired, Jerry ran football camps for youth out of Penn State Facilities and had keys to those facilities as well. In fact, he used those facilities for some of his attacks on young boys.

If only Paterno had done more….then maybe some kids that were raped and abused after the 2002 incident would be living normal lives now. That’s why I’m not willing to give Paterno a free pass. He could have done more and he should have done more. I have a hard time relating to someone like Paterno, who admitted that he had to think through the problem and then act. As a society, we should, without hesitation, protect the defenseless, like children and women. There is no thinking involved, except where is the phone to dial 9-1-1.

He may not be guilty of any crime, but he is culpable of gross stupidity and showed a total lack of care for the victim of the rape.

Ultimately, though, forgiveness is and will be elusive for Paterno. Forgiveness should not come from us, the spectators in all of this, it should come from the post 2002 victims, whom he failed to protect.

By the way, we’ve all heard that Paterno was “fired” from his job at Penn State. He wasn’t. He still on the payroll as a tenured professor. Read about that here: http://cbsloc.al/yOEkT8

 

 

Another 2 years of Selig; Pardon me while I Vomit

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Back in the day, we had a great commish, his name was Bart Giamatti. Remember him? Now there was a man who knew how to run baseball. Not a bad writer either. His last real job before becoming the commissioner of baseball was President of Yale University. He passed away much too soon; Baseball misses him as I’m sure his family and friends do. Here are a few quotes by the man I miss:

“On matters of race, on matters of decency, baseball should lead the way.”

“There are a lot of people who know me who can’t understand for the life of them why I would go to work on something as unserious as baseball. If they only knew.”

“It’s designed to break your heart. The game begins in the spring, when everything is new again, and it blossoms in the summer, filling the afternoons and evenings, and then as soon as the chill rains comes, it stops, and leaves you to face the fall alone.”

“The banishment for life of Pete Rose from baseball is a sad end of a sorry episode. One of the game’s greatest players has engaged in a variety of acts which have stained the game, and he must now live with the consequences of those acts. There is absolutely no deal for reinstatement.”

“No one man is superior to the game.”

“All I ever wanted to be president of was the American League.”

A. Bartlett Giamatti was the 7th commissioner of baseball and in my opinion, the last effective one.

We now have Bud Selig, a spineless clerk who has diminished and sullied the game many have spent countless hours shedding blood, sweat and tears protecting legacies and stories of athleticism that have transcended generations.

I grew up loving the game of baseball, both as a spectator and a participant. Attending many minor and major league games, I simply fell in love with the sport that has captured the hearts of many. Lately, I’ve been chagrined by the appearance of people who love money more than the game itself. I’m talking about the ones who are stewards of the game. Namely, Bud Selig.

I know, the athletes, you think, are greedy too. I don’t think so. My argument is that they sell their skills to the highest bidder and that is who they play for. The owners and the commish, all they look for, by and large, is more money. And Bud Selig is their boy. By the way, they pay Bud pretty well. I think 22 million per year, or thereabouts.

So, what has Selig done in his long tenure as commissioner? In his position since 1992, Selig has been busy. He implemented the Wild Card into the playoff structure, thus enabling an inferior team to advance to the playoffs without having won their division. Think about the shift in strategy here as the season progresses for certain teams that realize they are not elite.

He oversaw the 1994 Players Strike and cancelled the World Series that year.

He was also there for the 2002 work stoppage. You remember that year, don’t you? It was the year that he declared the All-Star game a tie when both teams were down to their last pitchers. How embarrassing! And later, he decided to spice up the All-Star game by giving home field advantage in the World Series to the league who won the game.

And then there are steroids. Selig, the steroid commissioner. Head in the sand for so many years while rogues cheated. And still, he really does nothing. I mean, a 50 game suspension is better than nothing but come on, who’s he kidding? The baseball purist in me tells me that cheaters should be sent packing, permanently.

So, ladies and gentlemen, there you have your Selig biography. I’m sure he’s proud, laughing all the way to the bank. One things for sure, though, he ain’t no Bart Giamatti, never will be. Would things have been different if Giamatti had lived longer? Oh yeah, you better believe it.

Sports Thoughts…..

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With the big change in the Colt’s organizational structure this week, it would seem that anything is possible with regards to the team’s continued employment of Peyton Manning.  The Colts will watch Manning’s recovery up until March 8, when they must decide whether to pay his $28 million option bonus, or cut ties with him. Trading is not a legitimate option, because they would take a huge cap hit if they did so after paying the option. Moreover, by rule of the CBA, they  cannot re-negotiate with Manning to give them a chance to trade him before it’s due. Obviously, if they opt to not pay the bonus, Manning becomes a free agent.

The bowls have been busy recently with more than a few good games. Defense has been missing, however, in some games. I still feel we can do better by implementing a different bowl system. It seems, from what I read and hear about, a plus one format is on the horizon. It does not answer all the questions but it is improvement toward finding a true national champion. I believe a lot of people have had enough of the current BCS system and their voices have been heard.

I’m hearing where some AP voters are going to vote LSU #1 if it’s a close game, regardless of the outcome. That’s a shame that it could be a split championship if Alabama wins but that is what the NCAA powers have created and tolerated for years. It’s simply not acceptable in my view that this can be a possibility. The system needs changing. You’ve heard me say this before, I know, but make your voice be heard on these matters and they will change the rules. Fans, players, and coaches should not have to put up with this any longer. Let’s change the system. Write letters, hit the phones, etc. but make your views known.

Don’t know if you’ve followed the story out of Tennessee involving Freshman DeAnthony Arnett and coach Derek Dooley. Arnett wanted to transfer from the Vols to a FBS school in Michigan because his dad is sick and unable to travel to see him play at Tennessee. At first, Dooley said that he could only transfer to a choice of 3 schools in Michigan, which did not include Michigan or Michigan State. After a firestorm of protests, Dooley has changed his mind and will allow Arnett to transfer to any school in Michigan. Today, Arnett said he would be enrolling in Michigan State. He was in the ESPNU 150 as a senior in high school.

John Elway and John Fox are expecting more from Tim Tebow this week. Elway wants more aggression and Fox wants better accuracy. Tebow, who has appeared shaken at times, says he is Ok and is looking forward to the challenge. Is he up to it? Going up against a top-tier defense is going to be tough. I think short passes are in order, to build his confidence, then let him try the medium to long ones. We shall see. Tebow believes in himself, no doubt, but he also has to believe in those around him and more importantly, they need to believe in him. He can’t do this by himself.

In a NCAA basketball note, you have to love the Mizzou Tigers. In a game to watch this Saturday, they play Kansas St. at 1:30 EST, Mizzou only has 7 players on scholarship and no player is over 6’6. They are now ranked 6th and undefeated, while K-State is 22nd.

 

Tim Tebow, Pat Robertson, and Saturday Night Live

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Pat Robertson needs to retire to some warm place in Florida, free from the glare of television cameras and far from any public forum. His latest rant against SNL for a skit about Tim Tebow and featuring Jesus was just another ridiculous portrayal of how backward some people really are. Really, it’s just a skit! Now, I’m not going to break down the skit minute by minute and offer my analysis of how silly and funny it was. I’ll leave that to the mom’s and dad’s out there who know the truth about such things and who will hopefully pass that along to the kids.

No, the purpose of this blog is to talk about Tim and Pat and how parody’s like SNL’s can really get things heated up in a hurry. SNL is not evil, they are entertainment and should be looked at through those lens exclusively. For instance, you would go to SNL for news, right? No, you go to them for laughs and enjoyment. Now if Tim, who is a public celebrity, chooses to profess his faith publicly every time he is interviewed, then he invites or opens himself up to, parodies like the one that SNL displayed last Saturday night. Face it, nothing in our society is really sacred anymore. And you can bet your last dollar that similar parodies are being planned for Robertson.

As a Christian, I know that these things are going to take place, they have in the past and they will continue. But, I am secure enough in my faith and have the knowledge in my beliefs that such behavior cannot cause my value system to waver. It’s really a wasted effort to try to insulate our faith against such things. And what of the SNL skit? Parts were funny, parts were totally stupid. It’s kind of sad, really, to think that some would get their spiritual lessons from a comedy routine anyway.

As for Pat Robertson, I think he is just misguided and out of touch with our culture. He does not represent how I feel as a Christian in my worldview. God wants us to live abundantly and happily, not frumpy and sternly.

By the way, Tim Tebow, in my opinion, is a fine young man. He has a book out, Through My Eyes, that I’m looking forward to reading. It’s on my list. I watched Tim as he grew at the University of Florida and he is a great athlete. I hope he does well in Denver and beyond. God Bless him.

Here is the SNL skit: Tim Tebow SNL Skit

A Modest Proposal: Fixing the BCS Mess

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It’s no great secret that the BCS system is in its last days. The rumors are rampant that change is coming. We can only hope that the change forthcoming will be good news, instead of something that just causes more confusion and bitterness. Here then, is my modest proposal to change the system for good.

There are now 11 conferences, along with the independents, in the FBS. In the plan, each conference would be required to have a mechanism that would decide a conference champion. Those conference champions, along with the highest ranking independent team, would form what is called the Bowl Championship Series.

From these 12 teams, using our current bowl structure, we would have 6 games, which would give us 6 teams who would advance to the next week. Those 6 teams would play, giving us 3 teams who would advance into the following week. The highest ranked team would receive a bye, leaving 2 teams to play. The result of that game would give us 1 team to advance into the next week to play for the National Championship.

The ranking system would be broken into 2 different and distinct parts. The first part would base the ranking on:

1. Strength of Schedule

2. Wins and Losses

3. Opponents Strength of Schedule

The second part is a radically different approach to what we’ve done before. It would be done with America’s vote. That’s right, the fan’s vote.

Now, I’m not so dictatorial that the two parts should be equal. However, the fan’s should have a say in these matters and their vote should count.

A word about the bowls: Each bowl would have an opportunity to be part of the Bowl Championship Series. The bowls that did not want to be part of it or were not selected would be free to select whatever teams they wanted to play in their bowl as long as they were bowl eligible, which is now 6 wins.

The regular season of each FBS team would be pared back to 9 games each to accommodate this plan.

There you have it, a modest proposal to correct the bowl situation.

There are some radical ideas here, like allowing America to vote and paring back the regular season to 9 games, but it’s time for change to make sense. This proposal addresses many problems. It may not be perfect but it’s a start.

Pujols new Home

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Well, once again, Albert Pujols has shocked the baseball world. This time, what he did didn’t happen on the baseball field. Earlier today, December 8th, 2011, I went to yahoo.com and saw that he had signed with not the St. Louis Cardinals, but with the, wait for it, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. WHO?!?!?! Who even thought that the Angels were in the running to get him? The whole situation starts many months ago…. all the way back to January of this year. Apparently, the Cards had offered him a nine-year, so many millions of dollars, and he turned it down. Albert Pujols, the figure of St. Louis for the last decade, turned down the option to finish out his career in St. Louis. That’s when I knew Pujols wasn’t going back. Pujols also told the Cardinals front office that he was not going to negotiate during the season. After an improbable run to the World Series, I thought for a couple of days that Albert would possibly go back. But after a couple of months of silence, the Winter Meetings hit. The Marlins and the Cardinals were the top two in the running to sign him. After a few days of intense negotiations, the Miami Marlins backed off their deal with Pujols, with no clear explanation to why Pujols backed out of the deal. Once again, it seemed like the Cardinals were the front-runners for the Albert Pujols Sweepstakes. Then the wackiness began. The Cardinals offered Pujols yet another deal, and he denied it again, because according to his agent, the deal didn’t have enough money on it. Personally, this is when I started to think that he was in it for the money. But then later it was being reported that the Marlins had offered him 275 million dollars. And here we are. On December 8th, 2011, Albert Pujols is no longer a St. Louis Cardinal for life. Now, I live a couple of hours from St. Louis. And when I read that Pujols had gone to the Angels out loud to a few faculty members at my high school, they were shocked. And within a matter of seconds, that shock turned into resentment. Throughout the day, I never heard one good word about Pujols, never heard anything about him playing his heart out for a decade for the team that he has cemented, never heard about his good deeds in the community. “Goodbye, and good riddance”, one of my friends said. It honestly feels like the LeBron James situation. But, this is completely different. Pujols has done so much for the community, and to hear all these people rag on him is disgusting. I can’t stand some Cardinals fans, and this just adds to the list. I hope Albert gets the respect he deserves in St. Louis, and I hope that he can cement his legacy as one of the best to play the game. And I’m happy that he gets the opportunity to do it in a city that might actually have respect for the man, the machine, and the player.

Some Random Thoughts

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I’m still a little chilled, shocked in fact, by all the news out of Penn State and Syracuse. It puts a damper on watching sports and enjoying the games I love dearly when my thoughts drift to those stories. It’s far from over, in my opinion.

Bobby V. to Boston, eh? Well, I’m picking myself up off the floor on this one. I notice he only got a two-year contract. Kind of a short leash. Really, he’s a .510 manager! Now, in my book, you either love or hate Boston, the same way with the Yankees. There is no way you can convince me that V is the long-term solution for the Red Sox. What do you think? Oh, by the way, if V did invent the wrap, as he says he did, my family will be forever grateful, because we love them. But as a baseball manager, I would have to say this was a mediocre hire by a great franchise.

Urban Meyer to tOSU! Great hire by the school and AD to get him before the NCAA hands down any punishment. Coach Meyer will do an excellent job for the school and the kids. I hope his health holds out for him. tOSU should be in the top 10 soon enough.

Sounds like Peyton is getting better. Why rush him back, though? The season is almost over and there is no chance for a post-season campaign. I say bring him back slowly and let him have full reign next year while possibly training up Andrew Luck or some other QB to be his eventual replacement. While I am writing this post I am watching the Oregon-UCLA game. It’s a mismatch, of course, but there is something about college sports, whether it’s football, basketball, baseball, etc. that get’s me fired up. I guess it’s just watching kids go out and play the game and then watching the fans enjoy their experience. It’s totally different from the professional experience, which I also love, but in a different way. You agree?

 

The Green Bay Packers: Pursuing Perfection

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Well, he we are, after another wonderful performance on a Sunday from the Green Bay Packers. The Pack Attack are sitting pretty at 12-0 after their close, electrifying win against the New York Giants in The Meadowlands.

Now, I know what you guys are thinking. Going through your head is “Wait, this happens every year, why is it such a big deal now?” Well, I’ll tell you what the difference is this time: the Packers are the real deal. Don’t get me wrong, the 2007 Patriots were right there. Getting to the Super Bowl undefeated is a great feat, but somehow, wide receiver David Tyree made the catch of the century which led to the game winning fade pass from Eli Manning to Plaxico Burress, thus ending the Patriots magical run. That being said, I think that this Packers team has all the tools to make it to the Super Bowl, and win it all. First off, Aaron Rodgers is the real deal. The last drive of the game solidifies him as one of the best quarterbacks in the league. With all the talent around him on the offensive side, such as wideout targets Greg Jennings and Jermichael Finley, it just makes Rodger’s job that much easier. Plus, Jordy Nelson has emerged as a go-to receiver for this ball club. Defensive secondaries also can’t forget about James Jones as a deep threat as well. Throw in a seasoned veteran such as Donald Driver, with a backfield with two solid backs with Ryan Grant and James Starks. Even though Starks re-aggravated an ankle injury in today’s win, he should be set to go for future games. Plus, the offensive line has improved, and you don’t see Rodgers running for his life anymore. Now you might think that the Packers are all about offense, but that isn’t the case. The Packers have a solid rush defense, headlined by the intimidating Clay Matthews. They also have another solid linebacker in AJ Hawk. One pass rusher that people have probably heard of but doesn’t get enough credit is the Packers defensive tackle BJ Raji. The Packers also have a good secondary which is led by Charles Woodson. Woodson also got injured in this game with a head injury, but he should be back in a few weeks.br /The Packers also have exceptional special teams units. In his first professional game, a rookie from Kentucky University named Randall Cobb returned a kickoff for a touchdown and has done a great job this entire year. They also have a great kicker in Mason Crosby, whose long on the year is 58 yards, and a solid punter in Tim Masthay.br /All in all, the 2011 Green Bay Packers are the real deal. If they get to about 14-0, you can guarantee to hear from the almighty Mercury Morris from the undefeated 1972 Miami Dolphins. But mark my word this year’s Packers has the best chance I’ve ever seen to be the second team in the history of the NFL to have an undefeated season.

 

College Bowl Picture a Mess

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I learned a long time ago that life isn’t fair, but that rule doesn’t have to apply to the college bowl picture. As fans, alumni, players and coaches we should all rise up in disgust and outrage and demand that the BCS get overhauled or scraped altogether. And while we are at it, let’s make sure we get the non-BCS bowls right as well.

All to often the current system rewards the teams who bring the most fans, who fill the seats and spend the most money. What kind of system is that? It leads to match ups like 11-1 Boise St. against 6-6 Arizona St. in the MAACO Bowl in Las Vegas or 10-2 TCU against 8-4 La. Tech. in the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl. It’s incredible to me that one of our generations most prolific college quarterbacks in Boise States Kellen Moore is relegated to a lesser bowl because his team fan base doesn’t travel well and the fact they lost one game this year. Just makes no sense. Had they not lost that one game they would be playing LSU for the National Championship. By the way, Boise is ranked 7th in the nation.

What about Oklahoma State? Their only mistake was to lose to Iowa State, an away game just after the tragic plane crash that took the lives of members of the OSU family. In my opinion, they deserve a chance to play LSU. Alabama had their opportunity and lost. Here we have a case of where a team, Alabama, did not even qualify to play for its conference championship and yet somehow they can play for the national championship? Not. Yeah, you can argue that on any given day any team can win. But, Alabama had its chance. They should have given OSU theirs.

Look at Kansas State. Easily Coach of the Year honors go to Coach Snyder. Ranked 8th in the nation, they should easily have been selected for a BCS bowl. But no. Now, It’ll be a great game against Arkansas in the Cotton Bowl, but my point is that we are rewarding teams BCS spots for the wrong reasons. BCS spots should be reserved for performance, not money, not fan base.

Now to the BCS Sugar Bowl. Michigan against Virginia Tech. Michigan is rewarded with a BCS bowl despite qualifying to play for its own conference championship. Virginia Tech is rewarded with a BCS bowl despite being overwhelmed in its conference championship game against Clemson. Just terrible. I’m not saying it’s bad that these teams are playing each other, just that it’s in the BCS Sugar Bowl. The voters failed here.

I could go on and on but I want to leave you with a call to action. If you are as upset as I am about the bowl system then here is what I urge you to do. Talk it up. That’s right, if enough people get to talking about it then I know action will be taken down the road. We need to work to strengthen the college bowl system. So jump on the message boards, the call in shows, the internet chats, etc. and talk it up.