Saints Aren't That Saintly

            Football is one of the most hardest, most physically demanding sport you can play. And at the highest level, the NFL, every player can end the game with multiple bruises, concussions or even broken bones.

            So when the bounty scandal that revolved around the New Orleans Saints and their defense came out, people were out right shocked. The NFL would be reviewing the hits and videos sent the league office and figure if any wrongful act was being done. And a wrongful act would definitely be what happened. Since defensive coordinator Gregg Williams began to orchestrate a system where defensive lineman, linebackers and other players were rewarded with any where from $1,000 of up to $50,000 for purposely hurting a player. One Notable occurrence of this happening was in the NFC championship game, where the defensive pounded on Minnesota Vikings QB Brett Favre was pounded to the point that he was forced out of the game, later requiring ankle surgery. A video would later surface of Williams telling his players to “Kill Favre”. 

            Four defensive players and four management/coaches for the Saints were suspended. The heaviest suspension fell onto Williams, who was suspended indefinite, as Commissioner Roger Goodell would review his possible return to football at the end of the 2012 season (he was reinstated on February 7, 2013, and was then hired by the Tennessee Titans)

            This disgusts me. If players, who are being paid well into the 7 figures, need a little extra petty cash, that’s just sad. The players that were being targeted did not deserve to have what happened happen to them, nor did they expect head-on-head hits. The coaches in this are to share if not equal blame, but more blame. They were the ones giving the incentive to go out and “Kill” someone. Sean Payton, head coach of the saints, was also involved in the scheme, but more of covering it up, then actually following through with it. He expressed sorrow for what he did, and I can accept that apology. But what these players and staff have done is mind blowing.

A Black Stain

            94 years ago, when the roaring twenties were just around the corner, 8 men did the unthinkable. They purposely lost a World Series for money from gamblers.

           

Not very many people get the chance to play in the World Series, the highest stage in the world for baseball. And you would think that for the 8 men who committed this crime, they would have realized that it was wrong on so many levels. And in the sport crazy city of Chicago, the White Sox became known as the Black Sox.

But they had reason. Back in the 1910’s and 1920’s, MLB, stipulated that once a team “owned” you, you could only sign with that team, or not play at all. The Chicago White Sox owner of the time, Charles Comiskey, underpaid his players, making them disgruntled and looking for other cash options. So when first basemen Arnold Gandil brought the idea to 6 other members of the White Sox, they agreed. One man, Shoeless Joe Jackson first admitted to, but then retracted that he accepted $5,000 from the gamblers. But after Jackson passed away in 1951, all remaining players confessed he never had any involvement, not attending any meetings or purposely playing bad. Jackson hit .375 in the series, good for any player even now.

So, for the entire 1919 World Series, vs. the Cincinnati Reds, they would try to commit errors, strike out and for the pitchers, walk as many as possible without raising any eyebrows.

But eventually, rumours began to swirl, and a grand jury was convened to investigate. Though all players would be acquitted, the 8 men would all receive lifetime bans from baseball, forbidden to play in the majors fro the rest of their lives.

I think that what the players did was unacceptable and that a lifetime ban was appropriate. But what happened to Shoeless Joe Jackson was wrong. After saying he took the money (which was so that he could stand by his team), he and all the other players confessed that he had no involvement in the throwing in the series. He had no errors, 6 RBI’s, the only home run in the entire series and the aforementioned .375 average. No way could a player throw a game with those stats.

The 8 men are;

• Arnold “Chick” Gandil
• Eddie Cicotte
• Oscar “Happy” Felsch
• Fred McMullin
• Charles “Swede” Risberg
• George “Buck” Weaver
• Claude “Lefty” Williams
• “Shoeless” Joe Jackson

How Long Is To Long?

                Lately, many games in the MLB have gone long into extras, with the Toronto Blue Jays playing 17 extra innings in less than a week and as I type this, an 18^th inning marathon just ended in Oakland. And last night, the first game of the Stanley Cup finals finished 8 minutes into the 3^rd overtime. So many sports critics have posed the question; How Long is to Long?

                For the MLB, they have suggested a cap on how many innings can be played before they call the game a tie and count it as half a game each in the standings. For the NHL, reducing the players on the ice to 4 per team has been the most suggested option, as it would open up the ice, giving more chances for odd man rushes.

                If players are giving 100% (as they always should), then forcing them to play virtually two games in one is too hard, even for a trained professional. In times like the playoffs, some players will throw up after a regulation game, due to the amount of try given. By having the game go on and on, players are putting themselves in harm’s way, possible dehydration or muscle tearing.

                For the sake of players and  fans, who might have to play hooky after watching the game well into the morning, let’s put a cap on the game.

The Colourful Nicknames

            A team’s nickname can represent part of a teams heritage in their respective country or area (i.e. Montreal Canadiens) something that happened in the history of the town or city the team plays out of (i.e. Calgary Flames), or simply a colorful name to strike fear into the opponent (New York Giants).

            Unfortunately, some nicknames are unsettling and disrespectful. There has been growing debate in the world of sports that many teams named after Native American “names”, like the Cleveland Indians and the Washington Redskins change their name.

           

The U.S. Commission of Civil Rights has called onto schools that are non-native to change their names to a non-native nickname. What would be so hard in the teams changing their names to the “Tigers” or the “Bears”? People supporting it say that by keeping that name, they are honoring the Native Americans. They aren’t honoring them at all. The nickname “Redskin” is akin to usually a very offensive word in the African-American race… I wouldn't call that honoring.

Some people are just too blind to see who they are affecting. A 2002 Sports Illustrated poll found that 90% of Native Americans living on reservations found the nicknames to be offensive. If you’re offending the very people whom you try to entertain on a Sunday afternoon or Saturday night, then it’s kind of a catch 22.

The New Orleans Pelicans just changed their nickname, as it used to be the Hornets. If a sports franchise can change their name to honor the city they play for, then why can't we honor the people that first stepped onto this great continent?

But good news is on the way, as in April 2013, a DC city counsel member proposed that the name Washington Redskins be changed. But people. Look at the date! 2013, we shouldn’t have to deal with petty racism problems like this. Deal with them and move on.

Flopping- Isn't Just For Fish Anymore

            It used to just be fish that would flop. But now, humans are starting to act a lot like their aquatic friends. And when I say humans, I’m not talking about kids acting silly or fishing show host copying the trout they just hooked. No, I’m talking of the 6 ft 6 in kind of humans. The ones that take pride in dunking a orange ball into a mesh net every night for 2 points. The NBA is finding that more and more players are taking on the art of flopping. Flopping is where the defensive player will on purpose fall or embellish when an offensive opponent touches or barely hits them. The reason? To draw an offensive foul and give his or her team the ball while punishing the opponent.

            While flopping can be effective, it is highly looked down upon, even though top brand names such as LeBron, Wade, Bosh, Griffin (note the high number of Miami Heat players…) are taking on the act of flopping. The NBA starting in the 2012-2013 season has implemented fines for players who flop. While many believe this to be the right step, many agree that more has to be done, as the average salary is 5.5 million a season.

            I personally find flopping very hard to watch as it makes the players look weak. They would rather go the short way and pretend to get hit, as opposed to doing it the hard, tough way going for the ball. There are aspects of the game that is very tough, the taking of elbows in the chest under the net or the racing for the boy when it’s rolling down the court.

But if they are getting paid an average of 5.5 million, they can go the extra distance.

                                   

Below, a link to a video showing what and what is not a flop.

                                                           Flopping

Tebowing for Boston

                Tim Tebow isn’t so much a controversies, but more of a story maker, for both the right and wrong reasons. He was the first ever Heisman winner that was home school throughout college and thanks to his very deep religious views, there is now a rule in the NCAA dubbed “The Tebow Rule”. The rule was created after Tebow wore Bible verses on his eye black, one being ‘John 3:16’, was searched 90 million in 24 hours after donning the eye black in a game.  

                Tebow was drafted 25^th overall to the Denver Broncos and played there for 2 seasons before being traded to the New York Jets. While in Denver, his talents were a bit more utilized then in New York, as Tebow was able to win a playoff game for the underdog Broncos vs. Pittsburgh in only his second NFL season. But in New York, he had only 8 passes and 32 runs, far shy from his 271 attempted passes and 122 runs. Tebow’s use as part of Jets was heavily critized, as the Jets struggled, but Coach Rex Ryan would not play him.

                I feel bad for Tebow for all he has gone through. A former Heisman winner and very capable quarterback has now had 3 teams in his first 4 seasons, as he was signed by the New England Patriots today. After making a great play or before or after the game, Tebow would go on one knee and pray, later going on the being dubbed ‘Tebowing’. SNL and other comedy satire programs did skits and pulled jokes about ‘Tebowing’, his non-playing and other jabs.

                Tim Tebow deserves his chance in the NFL, and as a backup to Tom Brady, he may finally have his chance.   

Tim Tebow, 'Tebowing'

What Do You Consider The Biggest Sports Controversy?

What do you consider the biggest sports controversy? Poll

Lance Armstrong- Cheater... Misunderstood?

Sports figures are put on a pedestal above all others. Little kids dream to be the next Michael Jordan, Wayne Gretzky or Brett Favre. For a cyclist, there was nobody higher then Lance Armstrong. The world knew him as the man who beat cancer, won a record 7 Tour de France yellow jackets and simply put, a bright shining light in the dark world of cancer. But now, 14 years after his first yellow jacket victory, he is known to the world as a cheater and a con-man.

                After the USADA banned Armstrong for life in any competition that was under the WADA, they stripped him of his 7 yellow jackets. Armstrong later admitted to Oprah Winfrey on a television interview that he had used PEDs in the past, but, that he only used them for his 1999 title, not any of his other 6, which were from 2000-2005. Nike and all other sponsor had cut ties with Armstrong by 2013 and he stepped down from his cancer research company “Livestrong”.

                I honestly feel bad for Armstrong, he was doing very well at a very young age for cycling and then he had to battle cancer. He fought it and came back. The pressure he faced, forcing him to take the PEDs and continue how well he was doing. He only tested positive once, but they stripped all of his titles, which would seem very unfair, as there is only proof for the USADA to strip the 1999 title. And just pointing out, I don’t see how the United States of America’s doping agency had authority on France…

Concussions

Andy McDonald has retired from the NHL because he is concerned with concussions. This is now an epidemic. NFL is constantly coming out with new helmets to protect players, yet 350 pound men still have to call it quits because of severe headaches, migraines and dizziness. The NHL is trying to take elbows to the head and blind side hits (see my previous blog "Matt Cooke- Unwanted") out of the game, but even on simple, shoulder on shoulder checks, players can be concussed. Possibly due to their head hitting the ice, or the pure speed of the games, with players going up to 32 km/h, it's easy to understand how so many injuries happen.

 

But people realizing that you can never make a sport like hockey or football completely safe is the key. That's when players, coaches and parents can take the step in preventing as many possible injuries as they can. But sometimes leagues can go too far in preventing concussions, that in the long run, there might actually be MORE concussions. Hockey Canada announced that all body-contact will be taken out of Peewee. Most parents who have a kid that age or haven't had a kid Bantam aged or above applauded it. But like me, many older kids and parents disagree with what they did. Hockey Canada’s reason for this ruling is that it will prevent concussions, teaching kids the basics of hockey, like puck handling. But I think Hockey Canada forgot the most basic rule that every single freaking kid was taught... Keep. Your. Head. Up. If kids do not learn that if they don't keep their head up, while skating down the ice with the puck, someone could very well (I have been on both the receiving and giving side of this hit) cream them and what do you know, give that person a concussion.

 

Concussions have ruined both careers and lives. The more we can do to prevent them, all the better.

Matt Cooke- Unwanted

     It's no mystery to hockey fans that Matt Cooke has a reputation unlike any others. What he has done single handily in this era of hockey can only be done by playing reckless, dirty, un-warranted and careless type of hockey. He has been involved in 17 players being injured due to Cooke kneeing, hitting from behind and elbowing to the head, as seen in this video: Matt Cooke- Unwanted

     And you would think for all Cooke does, many fights would be on his card. NOPE! Has been in a total of ONE fight in the last TWO years, Matt Cooke Fight Card. Cooke has been considered by many hockey analyst to be one of the most dirtiest players in the NHL, creating too much controversy and it has been even considered that Cooke be banned lifetime.

Above, is Matt Cooke elbowing Marc Savard in 2010 directly to the head, blind side, no where near the puck. Cooke was given no suspension for the hit, which was criticized heavily. Savard suffered a grade 2 concussion and was out of a number of games. He was eventually cleared to play, but due to a hit next season, Savard was concussed again and has not played since

Jacked Off Juice

    Outside The Lines (of ESPN) has recently reported that the MLB will be seeking to fine 15-20 players that had been linked to a Miami clinic and performance enhancing drugs in the past couple of years. The new evidence will come in the form of a testimony from the man in charge of the clinic, Tony Bosch, who has agreed to cooperate with the MLB's investigation.
     After repeatedly denying that his clinic was supplying performance enhancing drugs to top-billed players, such as Alex Rodriguez, Ryan Braun (who have also denied any involvement with Bosch)and others, Bosch will supply a full list of players he has worked for. Suspensions could be up to 100 games, over 60% of the regular season.
     Toronto Blue Jays Melky Cabrera admitted to using Bosch as a supplier last year, was suspended 50 games, and because of admitting it, may not be punished all to together this year.

http://espn.go.com/espn/otl/story/_/id/9301536/major-league-baseball-suspend-20-players-including-alex-rodriguez-ryan-braun-part-miami-investigation

Nobody's Perfect

     Most controversies end in someone being hurt or punished. But in the case of Armando Galarraga and Jim Joyce, it was heartbreak to unity and forgiveness. After 26 straight outs, Jim Joyce called Cleveland Indians Jason Donald safe on first base, when he was actually out, robbing Galarraga of the 21st perfect game in MLB history.
     What happened in the aftermath was unprecedented. Joyce regretted the call tearfully after the game upon seeing the replay of it. But what was even more amazing was that Galarraga accepted the apology and the next day, they met at home plate and shook hands.
     Fans and players in baseball were supportive of Joyce and understood that nobody is perfect. Before and after the incident, Joyce was/is still called one of, if not the best, umpire in the game.
I myself am amazed by everyone in the situation, as Joyce stood up, said he was wrong to everyone and asked for forgiveness. Galarraga, after being robbed of having his name inscribe in history, understood Joyces mistake and the two went on to write a book titled, "Nobody's Perfect".

This is Joyce and Galarraga exchanging the line up sheet the day following the in famous call.
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/columns/story?columnist=crasnick_jerry&id=5245331

SeaBrook Saves Walkom

On Wednesday May 29, in the Detroit vs Chicago, with 1:49 left in the 3rd period, referee Stephen Walkom called coincidental minor penalties against Detroit's Kyle Quincey and Chicago's Brandon Saad. Just seconds after Walkom blew his whistle and called the penalties. Due to the crowd, nobody else on the ice hear the whistle as Niklas Hjalmarsson netted the puck, only to have it called back. Many sports critics, players and the even the most casual of fans stormed Twitter, Facebook and other social media sites to complain at what they saw to be a one sided fight called as a two, and on top of it, a possible game-winning goal called back.

 

Now as a ref myself, and knowing the reasonability of the back referee, Walkom made the correct call. When there are coincidental penalties there are turning into fighting, the ref is supposed to blow the play down regardless of what is going on where the puck is. And also, early in the game, Valtteri Filppula of the Red Wings was forced to leave the game due to an ankle injury after getting into a little scrum with Andrew Shaw in front of the benches. The last thing the referee's want is another injury to happen after a fight in front the bench, thus Walkom wanting to blow it deadas quick as possible.

 

With 3:35 into overtime, Brent Seabrook scored on Jimmy Howard to give Chicago the 1-0 series lead. This may have been a blessing in disguise for both Walkom and the NHL itself. Had Detroit won, an even bigger controversy would have surfaced. What do you think?https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCXn5E53AaQ