….isn’t David Beckham. Nor is it the grandma-screwing Wayne Rooney. Rather, the United Kingdom’s most well compensated professional athlete who doesn’t tool around in a race car is none other than Chicago Bulls F Luol Deng, as the Independent’s Ian Whitell explains.
Some fifteen years removed from life in an Egyptian refugee camp, the Great Britain basketball international Luol Deng, 23, will today join the elite of British sport’s leading earners when he signs a six-year contract with the Chicago Bulls that could be worth as much as $80m (£40m).
(Deng, shown at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium moments before staff from the club shop presented him with an £1000.00 invoice for his personalized shirt. Apologies to Dave Chappelle for the stolen gag).
Last summer, as an indication of his potential, the historically frugal Bulls offered Deng a $57.5m (£28.75m) deal which the player rejected, a move which seemed risky as he and Chicago endured a disappointing season.
Team and personal incentives can add a further $9m (£4.5m) but a weekly salary of around £120,000-130,000 instantly catapults Deng into the company of top-end Premier League footballers such as Frank Lampard, Wayne Rooney and Rio Ferdinand on the £6.5m-per-year mark. Lewis Hamilton, Britain’s highest paid sportsman, earns around £15m a year.
Deng’s story is all the more remarkable given his childhood. His father Aldo, a government minister, was forced to flee from the second Sudanese civil war in the late 1980s, taking his family of 16 children first to a holding camp in Egypt before seeking and gaining political asylum in Britain.
Once he became established in South Norwood, south London, from the age of nine, Deng’s basketball skills were developed at Brixton’s renowned junior programme, where contacts helped him move to the United States for high school and college from the age of 14.
(young bimbo / an embarrassment to the trade. and on the left, Erin Andrews. Image taken from Home Run Derby)
ESPN’s Erin Andrews “is good-looking enough and has enough of a high-profile job that she would get plenty of interviews and attention even if she showed up in a burlap sack,” gushes the Peoria Journal-Star’s Mike Nadel, while asking “did she really feel playing the sexpot was necessary to practice journalism?” Hey, it works for Len Pasquarelli, but Nadel took exception to Andrews’ demeanor and choice of attire whilst working the visiting clubhouse before Wednesday’s Cubs/Brewers tilt (link swiped from Repoz and Baseball Think Factory).
Andrews sauntered around the visiting clubhouse, flitting from one Cubs player to another. Her skimpy outfit — designed to accentuate her, um, positives — had players leering at her. Some made lewd comments under their breath. Others giggled like 12-year-olds.
“Good for you, Rammie,” Andrews said three hours before the game, bending forward to shake Aramis Ramirez’s hand.
“Good for you.”
Ramirez, who had three doubles in the Cubs’ 7-1 victory the previous night, sheepishly accepted Andrews’ congratulations. She didn’t ask him any questions because he was sitting on the players-only sofa; she seemingly just wanted to show “Rammie” her support. Weird.
Moments later, the blonde reporter was chatting with Alfonso Soriano. At one point, she placed her hand suggestively on Soriano’s left biceps.
Was I reading too much into all this? I don’t think so. I’ve been a paid observer for a long time … and I wasn’t exactly the only one who noticed.
As two Cubs stood near their lockers, one asked the other: “Hot? Or just attractive? Does she do anything for you?”
This went on for at least an hour. Finally, Piniella emerged from his office, ready for his dugout media session. As he turned the corner, there was Andrews in all of her bare-legged, high-heeled, low-necklined glory.
“Hey, hey, hey! Look at this!” Piniella said, loudly and excitedly. “Are you doing a baseball game today or a modeling assignment?”
Indeed, it is a sad day for sports journalism when someone has to use their good looks to get ahead in the business. But enough about Ron Darling, could it be that Nadel isn’t just a little jealous?
There’s a ton of guys in Southern California who love collecting Red Sox memorabilia. For instance, did you hear the one about the parking lot magnate that managed to put Derek Lowe, Nomar Garciaparra and Manny Ramirez in the same clubhouse? SI.com’s Jon Heyman reports after morning developments had Mets fans cursing the prospect of Ramirez turning up in the NL East, it turns out the left-fielder will soon be trading barbs with T.J. Simers. While the offensively-challenged Dodgers can rush their Manny/Lt. Dangle tees into production, Pittsburgh will send Jason Bay to the Red Sox, with Heyman citing 4 minor leaguers going to the Pirates (though he’s not yet specified which players, nor what organization they’re coming from, Boston or LA).
I can only pray I’m watching the TV the first time Manny runs through one of Larry Bowa’s stop signs.
(UPDATE : The Globe’s David Lefort reports Pittsburgh receives the recently demoted IF Andy LaRoche and P Bryan Morris from the Dodgers, pitchers Craig Hansen and Brandon Moss from the Red Sox. If this station had their own version of Joe Benigno-Gazingo instead of the syndicated Dan Patrick, he’d be yelling about signing Barry Bonds).
“Hopefully, he’s not fighting anymore and going after a guy in the stands,” said Houston’s Yao Ming of (probable) new teammate Ron Artest, to which the latter replied, “I guess once Yao Ming approves (the deal), I’ll be a Houston Rocket.” More of Artest’s rebuttal, as quoted by the Sacramento Bee’s Sam Amick :
“I understand what Yao said, but I’m still ghetto,” said Artest, who will earn $7.4 million next season and be a free agent next summer. “That’s not going to change. I’m never going to change my culture. Yao has played with a lot of black players, but I don’t think he’s ever played with a black player that really represents his culture as much as I represent my culture. Once Yao Ming gets to know me, he’ll understand what I’m about.”If you go back to the brawl, that’s a culture issue right there. Somebody was disrespecting me, so he’s got to understand where I’m coming from. People that know me know that Ron Artest never changed.”
Not only did Artest seem to take exception to Yao’s brawl-related comments, he expressed a similar desire for a long-term commitment from Houston as he had with the Kings at the outset of their unofficial divorce in early July.
“We’ve still got to make sure there’s still a commitment (from the Rockets),” Artest said. “That’s the main thing, is to make sure there’s still a commitment. When I speak to the powers-that-be of the Houston Rockets’ organization, we’re going to find out how much they really want me there. We’ll find out. I’m still waiting to find out if this is just a trade or if this is like a long-term commitment-type thing. I haven’t spoken to anybody yet. I’m still waiting.”
Bob Sura and Jon Barry aren’t considered representatives of black culture?
While the proposed Manny Ramirez-to-Florida deal is being described as “dead” by one of Ken Rosenthal’s sources, Boston’s shy, retiring Curt Schilling tackle the Mannymania issue whilst chatting with WEEI’s Dennis & Callahan earlier today. Asked if he thought the time had come for the Red Sox to jettison Ramirez, Schilling replied “would I be the only guy in the New England area that said no if I did?”, adding a mild critique of Pedro Martinez for good measure (”the things that Pedro said going out of town about Terry [Francona], that crushed me because of what I saw Tito do for him. Manny’s the same way…”). The portion of Schilling’s interview that bear serious consideration, however, was no. 38’s thoughts on the role of Ramirez’ agent, Scott Boras. Transcript taken from the Boston Globe’s Steve Silva :
“I think absolutely he’s absolutely had a hand in this … I think he absolutely has a piece of this. Scott Boras (above) stands to make zero dollars if the Red Sox pick up Manny’s options the next two years. Manny’s not 1- years from retirement, he’s maybe four obviously, that’s where he’s at. So does Scott Boras want to get a two year-deal for Manny or a four-year deal for Manny? At the end of the day it falls on the player because Manny’s an adult… I can’t fathom Scott hasn’t had some… you read his comments, he just has no ability to answer a question short, tactfully, and straightforward. It’s a 12 paragraph way to say 19 syllable words that you just can’t figure out what the hell he’s saying.”
While the Mets are said to be pursuing Luis Ayala and/or former Tom Glavine caddy David Weathers, the Marlins picked up left-handed reliever Arthur Rhodes from Seattle in exchange for former Mets prospect Gaby Hernandez. Rhodes was effective in limited duty for the Mariners this year, while Hernandez has struggled since being called up to Albuquerque. I don’t really have much to add concerning this huge transaction, other than I am very surprised no one has tried to vandalize Mel Rojas’ wikipedia entry.
SI.com’s Jon Heyman reports there’s an increased likelihood Manny Ramirez is headed to the NL East and in the words of WFAN’s Chris Carlin, “…to the wrong team”, as Boston’s spacey slugger might be Miami-bound as part of a three-way swap that also includes the Pirates.
The Red Sox approached Ramirez in advance of their negotiations, and got his OK. He signed off on the paperwork, contingent upon the two $20-million team options for 2009 and ‘10 being dropped. The move will set the stage for Ramirez to become a free agent this winter, assuming a trade can be completed by the three teams.
In the talks, Ramirez would head to the Marlins with Jason Bay coming from Pittsburgh to Boston to replace him and the rebuilding Pirates getting younger players, perhaps including Jeremy Hermida from the Marlins. People involved in the discussions say several combinations of players were still being discussed, but the focus appears to be narrowed now to include just those two teams with Boston. It’s still possible Ramirez could remain with the Red Sox, though it’s now believed more likely than not that a deal will be consummated close to today’s 4 p.m. ET deadline.
In one oft-discussed arrangement on the table, the Marlins would surrender Hermida, power-hitting outfield prospect Mike Stanton and hard-throwing young pitcher Ryan Tucker. However, the Marlins were said to be trying to keep the highly regarded Stanton out of the trade and the prospects could change. Josh Willingham was discussed as a replacement for Hermida at one time, but Willingham was determined to have a medical issue and it appears Hermida would be the main player leaving Florida.
It would appear Theo Epstein and Boston ownership have determined that Jason Bay is a better option for the final two months of the ‘08 season than Manny Ramirez taking 6 seconds to go from home to first base. Manny’s done some remarkable things during his career, but none more impressive than forcing a franchise gunning for their first repeat championship since 1916 to accept a lesser player in return, right in the middle of a pennant race.
It is also hard to remain unimpressed with Larry Beinfest, who determined last spring that he preferred not to pay $20 million a year for the allegedly moody Miguel Cabrera. Instead, Beinfest’s Marlins could be on the brink of acquiring a power hitter with Hall Of Fame credentials, without paying even a portion of that player’s gigantic salary. If the Fish win a World Series with a lineup that includes Annibal Sanchez along with Hanley & Manny Ramirez, does Theo get a playoff share?
(UPDATE : Gammons says this isn’t happening, supposedly the Marlins want an additional $2 million on top of Ramirez’ remaining ‘08 salary. Would you trade Manny Ramirez, two minor leaguers and $9 million for Jason Bay?)
(Above: White Sox GM Kenny Williams evaluates lunch options)
As Paul Konerko’s lineup position falls faster than the S&P 500, Kenny Williams knows he has to put an end to his jobs program for the fastball-impaired. Hampered by the .214-hitting, wild-throwing first baseman’s no-trade clause, Kenny’s justified in contemplating some oblique machinations. But…really, Ken Griffey Jr.?
Intriguing. Early in ‘05 Williams came close to getting Griffey, which proves that at least one World Championship didn’t hinge on Junior’s input. But the bulk of the mystery lies in what his role would be. The White Sox are more than set at left and right, and while Griffey would bring a welcome on-field impatience with irritating broadcasters, Ken Harrelson’s not the Ken that matters. Getting Konerko out of the lineup probably means putting Swisher at first and Griffey in center, but that’s a lot of gap for the creaky 38-year old to cover. A reconstituted Jim Thome means Kenny can’t clear out left by moving Jermaine Dye to DH. So, Dye to CF? Quentin to CF? Dye to first? What’s he building in there?
Then there’s the small matter of who is being shipped to the Reds. Late word names Nick Masset and Danny Richar, which leaves serious holes in a Scott Linebrink-deprived bullpen. Beyond lending even more credence to the notion of Kenny grabbing Huston Street from the A’s fleamarket, involving the pen means the final price for Griffey isn’t in yet. Outside of OF Chris Young, I can’t think of anybody Kenny’s let go that resulted in regret. In fact, if it was announced that Carlos Quentin was to be shipped to Oakland for Street or Ducscherer, I would merely tell myself (after emerging from a three-day bender) that Q was about to fall apart. In Kenny We Trust.
Tommy Rider aka Tommy Casale describes himself as “a former sportswriter who traveled with the Patriots, stayed at the same hotel and stuff like that.” And with the end of his tenure at Patriots Football Weekly, Rider wants his legion of excitable readers to know “Bill Belichick never yelled at me and the players were more than accommodating 99 percent of the time.” Let the thrilling tidbits flow, as culled from Pregame.com :
Tedy Bruschi is much more popular with the fans than he is with his teammates. He isn’t the team leader people think he is. Actually, Bruschi rarely talks to any of his teammates. He and Mike Vrabel used to be close but they rarely interact anymore either. Bruschi is just an unlikable person in general and I think his teammates know what’s what and get sick of his act. He created an image that he presents to the public but his teammates know better. The real leaders of the Patriots are Tom Brady, Matt Light, Richard Seymour and the top guy, Rodney Harrison. Harrison is actually one of the nicest guys you would ever want to meet off the field, which is a total contrast to his sometimes dirty play on it.
–Corey Dillon is about the most miserable piece of shit you would ever want to encounter. You should see the looks and gestures he would give fans when we went on the road. Sometimes an athlete’s reputation is blown up by the media but that wasn’t the case with Dillon. There is no doubt in my mind that he will end up in jail at some point. You don’t have to be a good guy to be a star in the NFL and no one is a better example of that than Dillon.
–Hold on for this one: I heard from someone who is close to the case that there is a sex tape of Bill Belichick banging the married woman he had an affair with. I shit you not. The husband who is suing that woman for being unfaithful to him has a tape of his wife and Belichick screwing while the two of them were still married. Belichick is a very powerful man so I imagine he’s doing everything in his power to squash this from getting out but it could only be a matter of time. A part of me doesn’t want to see it but another part of me can’t help but be intrigued.
What could be more awesome than a pseudonymous blog post trashing the character of public figures? That’s right, imagining a video of “Belichick banging the married woman he had an affair with”. Thanks a million, Tommy.
And if so, wonders Kevin Rys, “does he still have the wheels to cover center field?” Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal claims the Reds’ Ken Griffey Jr. will become a member of the Chicago White Sox, pending the outfielder’s approval. Rosenthal doesn’t mention who the White Sox are giving up, but we can safely assume Chicago aren’t offering Steve Stone as part of the deal.
The Newark Star-Ledge’s Dan Graziano, having previously claimed the Mets were fielding offers for Scott Schoeneweis and Aaron Heilman, suggests the Mets weren’t ever in the mix for Griffey, as they “believe that there will be enough corner-outfield bats clearing waivers in August that they can wait and see what’s going on with Ryan Church before deciding whether they really need one.” The notion of Paul Byrd returning to Flushing has been raised, and anything that will allow me to regurgitate the huge stockpile of Chris Benoit photos I’ve collected over the years would be very welcome.
“The Red Sox don’t deserve a player like me,” Ramirez said. “During my years here, I’ve seen how they [the Red Sox] have mistreated other great players when they didn’t want them to try to turn the fans against them.
“The Red Sox did the same with guys like Nomar Garciaparra and Pedro Martinez, and now they do the same with me. Their goal is to paint me as the bad guy,” Ramirez added. “I love Boston fans, but the Red Sox don’t deserve me. I’m not talking about money. Mental peace has no price, and I don’t have peace here.”
Though the departures of Garciaparra and Martinez were unquestionably messy, ’tis hard to fathom what P.R. battle Ramirez hopes to win by recalling either scenario. Garciaparra, best known these days for an awkward G2 commerical and being on the DL 100+ games a season, was hardly missed by the 2004 World Champion Red Sox, much as Martinez’ free agency was followed by 2 post-season appearances in 3 seasons (including, ahem, another World Series title). The only leverage the 36 year old left fielder can really wield in this situation — his own petulance — is precisely what makes it more difficult for the Red Sox to find genuine value on the trade market, even if they pick up 100% of Manny’s remaining ‘08 salary.
That the Yankees favored Rodriguez over Greg Zaun isn’t very surprising, but given the Rangers’ embarrassment of riches behind the plate, there’s every chance former UT standout / current Olympian Taylor Teagarden might be dealt elsewhere by tomorrow night.
Signal To Noise reported the P.R. firm of former White House press secretary Ari Fleischer is advising the San Francisco 49ers. Though it’s a huge relief to learn Fleischer’s finding honest work in the private sector, he’ll have to do some tremendous work in the Bay Area before anyone forgets the rather unique approach former publicist Kirk Reynolds brought to the gig.
The San Jose Mercury News’ Tim Kawakami, while not petitioning for Reynolds’ return, isn’t exactly welcoming Fleischer with open arms, declaring “it’s ridiculous for the 49ers–or any sports franchise–to trot out any time-tested political attack dog, whether he or she be Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, Socialist or whatever.”
Ari Fleischer? To lecture the helmet heads about what? How to lie mislead a nation about the lead up to a fractious war in the Middle East and then continue to bully anybody who might suggest otherwise and warn American citizens that they have to be careful of what they say in a free nation that he perhaps doesn’t think protects, you know, freedom of speech?
Who’s next up on the 49ers speakers bureau? Rush Limbaugh? Then Pastor Jeremiah Wright? (Well, you and I know it wouldn’t be Wright or anyone of that political/social stripe, not for Mike Nolan’s Hearty Fellows, but if it was Wright, it’d be just as stupid as Fleischer. JUST AS STUPID.)
The NFL.com shop ran an advertisement last autumn for some ladies-dig-football-too line of team logo’d corsets, micro-tees, etc., and after wondering how come I don’t know any girls having parties like that on Sunday afternoons (answer : I LIVE ON PLANET EARTH), I did ask myself, “guys have no fashion brains whatsoever, but what self-respecting women-person actually wears that stuff?”.
Well, thanks to the eagle eyes of Sports On My Mind’s dwill, I think I have my answer. Though crediting AOL Fanhouse with previously having “included women and treated them as equals in its own white, male, snark and circumstance-dominated bandwidth and pushed women as equals to the rest of the white, frat boy-patrolled sports blogosphere,” Mr. Wilson adds “now, though, it seems that even the women of FanHouse have been undercutted, their value demeaned, and the true perception of their worth exposed.”
The offending content, mysteriously removed, but still available in cached form, leads the SOMM author to conclude, “we can now add misogynist to the already racist atmosphere that acts as a toxic smog hanging over its url.”
Fanhouse founder Jamie Mottram was also dismayed by his old firm’s decision to plug The Fantasy Sports Girls, describing the promotion as “unbelievably bad content…in unbelievably poor taste and reeks of executive ineptitude and shortsightedness.”
Hey, I’m just surprised Yardbarker didn’t think of it first. Mottram alludes to other changes in the direction of Fanhouse since his departure for Yahoo Sports, and while it’s interesting to watch a good portion of the sports blogosphere leap on Wilson’s righteous bandwagon, how many of ‘em have taken the time to axe this motherfucker from their blogrolls?
“Play nice, gentlemen,” reads the note from a concerned GC addressed to Ben Schwartz and myself in the wake of the latest Cubs fan assault on class and decorum, a beatdown which reportedly cost outnumbered White Sox fan Robert Steele his eye. But as Ghandi once observed, “An eye for an eye and soon the whole world is blind, and a tooth for a tooth explains Ronnie Woo-Woo.”
The CSTB honcho needn’t worry. We can, in fact, just all get along. I haven’t met Ben yet, but I doubt he’s a violent racist shitbag hedge fund manager, despite championing the red, white and blue as he does. And I’m no mulleted, first-base coach-tackling buffoon – because when your team wins a World Championship more often than once a century, you just don’t get that motivated. Since Ben’s not the eye-kicking type, it’s not his job to answer for the retrograde brutality and abject cowardice that marks Cub Nationalism.
But who should? Is there no responsibility to be borne by the individuals who tacitly support a violent, media-manipulating organization built on superficial assent, ignorance and entitlement? Do Cubs fans have less or more responsibility for the wretched excesses of their regime than do Republican voters? And most importantly, can Mr. Steele get a Sox eyepatch somewhere?
Because I’d totally wear one of those.
Police said Boguslaw Czapla delivered the kick that cost Steele his eye, but in an interview Tuesday he denied he was at the party during the alleged brawl. He said he was away from the party for about an hour and that Steele had been taken to the hospital by the time he returned.
“I went to the liquor store to get a pack of cigarettes,” Boguslaw Czapla said Tuesday. “By the time I got back it was all over.”
Boguslaw Czapla acknowledged that he and his brother are Cubs fans but said he does not recall any discussions about the teams during the gathering. The Associated Press reported the party started out as a Sesame Street-themed birthday party for a 2-year-old girl.
Boguslaw Czapla said police took as evidence the boots he was wearing that night. “Hopefully, once they do whatever they do on them, [the boots] should come up clean,” he said.
Most of the people at the party—including himself and Steele—were drinking alcohol, Boguslaw Czapla said.
Jaroslaw Czapla, 31, the brother who hosted the party, was charged with misdemeanor battery and felony mob action, police said.
“No comment, thanks,” he said when he answered the door at his Huntley home on Tuesday.
A neighbor who said she has known Jaroslaw Czapla for about five years but who declined to give her name called him a good father and a hard worker. She also described him as an avid Cubs fan who once named a pet dog Wrigley.
Win a major pro or college championship, you meet the President. Win the ArenaBowl…
“It’s amazing how many people have texted, or e-mailed or called,” [Philadephia Soul co-owner Jon Bon Jovi] said. “Coach [Tom] Coughlin from the Giants, Andy Reid, Bill Belichick, Bob Kraft, [Doug] Flutie, [John] Elway, Al Gore. You’d be surprised at the people who were glued to their TV Sunday. Charlie Weis.
[Bon Jovi] said after Sunday’s game that the concert he promised if the Soul won the championship would be held before next season’s opener.
Does that mean the “free” concert requires purchase of a game ticket? Or is it just going to be “sometime before” next season’s opener, at somewhere other than the Wachovia Center?
You might want to get on this for your new show before Dick Wolf does. According to the Associated Press, former Seattle Mariners (and not-quite-Phillies and Giants) reliever Julio Mateo, now with Fresno of the PCL, was arrested on suspicion of forgery after paying for a cab in Albuquerque using a counterfeit $100 bill.
Mateo had previously faced domestic violence charges from an incident in New York City, which he eventually pled guilty to. I’m now thinking he got nabbed for that because somebody asked him, “Julio, when did you stop beating your wife?”
According to police reports, as officers patted Mateo down in a hotel hallway early Sunday, he made a statement in Spanish to police that translates to, “I didn’t pass the bad money.”
“Before officers informed him of why we were there, Julio stated that he did not know anything about fake money,” Officer Christopher Enyart wrote in a police report….
After investigating officers received permission from Mateo to enter his hotel room, an officer saw “two stacks [of] money with $100 bills on top of the stacks,” a police report said.
Mets 1B Carlos Delgado continued his recent turn-back-the-clock routine Tuesday night, hitting an 8th inning, 2-run HR off the Marlins’ Renyel Pinto, a key blow in New York’s 4-1 victory. Since June 27, Delgado’s clobbered 13 home runs and accumulated 25 RBI’s. He’s also seen his batting average rise from .232 to .262, his OPS increasing by more than 100 points, a stunning turnaround that’s caused many observers to wonder how they should properly account for this career resurrection. Has Delgado finally recovered from his wrist and hip woes? Has Willie Randolph’s departure been something of a relief? Or could this be Carlos D’s personal crusade to make one Long Island-based columnist look silly? If you picked “C”, surely Newsday’s Ken Davidoff deserves consideration for a Mets playoff share by virtue of penning the following on June 28, the day after Delgado hit 3 HR’s at Yankee Stadium.
Game 1 will go down as a memorable aberration in this downward slope of Delgado’s career bell curve, rather than serving as a springboard for the 36-year-old’s revival; he went 0-for-2 with two walks in the Mets’ 9-0 Game 2 loss to Sidney Ponson, of all people.
Come season’s end, Delgado’s statistics might look decent, the product of a few more binges. But that he’ll leave the Mets, nonetheless, trailed by a cloud of disappointment.
Mets fans have taken on Delgado this year as much for his body language as his stats. The way he barely seems to move on balls hit in his vicinity. The way his shoulders slump after a strikeout. He seems to be a different guy from the freethinking, note-taking, ball-raking leader who first came here in 2006.
Wright, always the optimist, praised his teammate. Said Wright: “He’s a guy that, when he gets hot, he gets stupid hot. He can be one of the best run-producers in the league.”
Maybe. Probably not. But for one glorious afternoon in the Bronx, at least, Delgado entered his personal time tunnel, padded his impressive resume and won the Mets a ballgame.
As you’ve probably heard elsewhere, Houston have reunited Rick Adelman with Ron Artest, acquiring the Tru Warier for the price of Bobby Jackson, Donte Green and a future draft pick. A disillusioned Richard Justice, blogging for the Houston Chronicle, concedes, “if the Rockets win a championship–and they’re good enough if Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming stay healthy and Morey makes a move to upgrade point guard–no one will care how they did it. No one will mention that the franchise suddenly seems diminished.”
He’s a wonderfully talented basketball player. He’s only 29 years old. He did a terrific job with the Kings on the court. But there’s a reason this is his fourth team. Not every team has considered Ron Artest worth the trouble.
Rick Adelman coached Artest for 40 games, so he certainly signed off on the deal. I want to trust Rick Adelman in personnel matters. I want to trust Daryl Morey, too. This is a tough one to swallow.
It could be another example of Les Alexander pretending to be a general manager. His last good idea was wanting Steve Francis back in uniform. That one should have taught him to stick with stocks and bonds and whatever else he does. He doesn’t know basketball.
We’ll eventually know whether Les forced this deal on his basketball team. It may be two or three years down the line, but someone will let it slip. They always do.
The Rockets had pursued Artest in the past even after he’d gotten into trouble. In an odd twist, once he was accused of animal cruelty, Artest seemed to disappear from the hearts and minds of the Rockets.
Come to think of it, if you can forgive Artest for all the other stuff he has done, you should be able to forgive him for neglecting an animal.
Justice lists “attacking a fan” as part of Artest’s rap sheet, neglecting to mention said fan precipitated the assault by throwing a full cup of beer . Indeed, there are many reasons why Artest is on his 4th franchise. But since we’re on the subject, Tracy McGrady is a trade away from having played for just as many. If Artest’s reputation precedes him, how about T-Mac’s coach killing history?
I am not sure why this is the case. Maybe the Chinese government wants to hide the link between high BABIP and overinflated batting averages. Maybe they’re against those who lurk in their mother’s basement, thumbing through the dusty box scores in old editions of Sporting News. Maybe they just like Murray Chass’ new website.
Whatever the reason, here’s an open call for the Chinese government to unblock Fire Joe Morgan. The good people of China deserve to know what inane things the American baseball media are saying.
While a 6th inning RBI single off Scott Olsen by Carlos Beltran has the Mets leading the Fish, 2-1, not every New Yorker is enamored with the Mets’ centerfielder.
Shocking stuff, eh? You’d think Chris Russo could afford a maid.
Newsday’s Neil Best reported earlier today that Emmit Smith has been replaced by Chris Carter on the set for ESPN’s “Sunday NFL Countdown”, charitably describing the former Cowboys RB as an announcer who “struggled at times to speak English clearly”. With this historic announcement in mind, let’s (again) turn back to last November, when the Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s Gary West annointed Emmitt as “the media’s MPP —most painful person to watch/hear.”
As an ESPN football analyst, Smith is conspicuously inept. No, to call him inept insults inept people: He’s woefully incompetent. But here’s the important question: What does his presence say about the network that put him there?
As one of the analysts on NFL Countdown, Smith babbles, bumbles and stutters while generally insulting the language. He sometimes fumbles his facts and frequently seems unprepared. He can’t even get a cliché right.About Green Bay’s Donald Driver, Smith said: “Tonight he’s looking to get back to paydirt so he can right size the ship right now.”
About the Cowboys’ quarterback, Smith said: “Tony Romo has the mentality to have the sense to make the play.”
When asked to summarize his thoughts in two words, he once said, “Cowboys lose big-time.”
And about this season’s grand possibilities, Smith said, “If you want to stay perfect, you can not go undefeated with a blemish on your record.”
The man – whose name leaves as much of an impression as his game – is back playing streetball after a five-year hiatus, drawn back to the court that resides less than 50 dribbles from his childhood home.
“I play because that’s the park I grew up in. That’s the park where I fell in love with basketball,” Shammgod said. “I used to be in that park until like two in the morning.”
Shammgod, 32, achieved his greatest fame during his second, and final, year at Providence, leading the Friars to the Elite Eight in the 1997 NCAA Tournament, where they lost in overtime to the eventual champs, Arizona. The Wizards took Shammgod in the second round of the 1997 NBA Draft. He played in Washington for one season.
“I can’t say I didn’t get a fair shot. I played behind Rod Strickland, who was one of the best point guards in the NBA,” the 6-foot guard said. “It’s hard to argue [about playing time] when a person is leading the league in assists.”
Were it not for Kussoy’s street hoops reportage, I’d be blissfully unaware, for example, that Smush Parker, Allan Houston and Ron Artest are amongst the household names currently spending their summer on the asphalt.
While David Pinto scores points for being the first person to propose a Jose Guillen/Manny Ramirez trade, the Providence Journal’s Sean McAdam suggests the Red Sox are amongst those clubs coveting position player-turned-reliever Ron Mahay. Long before his conversion, Mahay was part of the same Trenton Thunder squad as Boston’s former shortstop Nomar Garciaparra. Perhaps he can platoon in left field after the Mets have exchanged F-Mart for Manny.
The rogue ref’s solicitor can neither confirm nor deny Tim Donaghy — sentenced to 15 months in what his wife hopes is a country club prison — is writing a book. Either way, it’s a bad time for Judith Reagan to be out of the publishing business.
Though Donaghy’s days officiating in the Association are most certainly over, perhaps the fledgling Premier Basketball League might offer him a gig once he’s paid his debt to David Stern society? There’s generally not a Vegas line on games between the Montreal Sasquatch and Vermont Frost Heaves, though with the added visibility a Donaghy hire would surely bring, perhaps that’s something to aim for.
(the Baron can be seen 11pm weeknights…and that is all the people need to know)
“Though ESPN Classic is normally loaded with old garbage — pro wrestling, American Gladiators — instead of classic sports, it carried yesterday’s Baseball Hall Of Fame inductions as if they made a good fit.” – Phil Mushnick, New York Post, July 28
A cursory scan of today’s TV listings reveals ESPN Classic (aka “The Ocho”) features “American Gladiators” at 6pm, and AWA Wrestling at 11pm. By what measure does Mushnick consider one twelfth of ESPN Classic’s daily schedule “loaded”? Would the Post’s TV sports columnist have us believe a channel that serves up a daily dose of Howie Schwab and Denise Austin is unworthy of Goose Gossage’s acceptance speech? By what twisted perspective is Verne Gagne’s venerable midwestern wrestling promotion deemed “old garbage”, while impressionable viewers have just as much “Arli$$” foisted upon them?
The Cincinnati Reds get busy at the trade deadline by naming an official ketchup.
Orestes (Madison County) IN – Red Gold, Inc. has announced a new sponsorship program with the Cincinnati Reds, just in time for the Reds Hall of Fame Induction weekend activities.
With this multi-year sponsorship, Red Gold Premium Quality Ketchup is the official and exclusive brand of ketchup available in Great American Ball Park. According to Greg Metzger, Director of Marketing, “This is a great opportunity for the Red Gold company to support the Cincinnati Reds and their loyal fan base while becoming part of their rich baseball tradition.”
Cincinnati consumers and Reds fans’ have enjoyed the quality of Red Gold Brand tomato products, which are hometown favorites, for years. Now fans will be able to enjoy the great taste of Red Gold Premium Quality Ketchup on hot dogs, fries, bratwursts and hamburgers served at concession stands throughout Great American Ball Park. The striking and vibrant Red Gold Brand logo will be prominently showcased in all thirty-two concession stands.
This sponsorship of the Cincinnati Reds is yet another example of Red Gold’s involvement in the local community while supporting the hometown team.
And another example of a “Cincinnati” product that’s from Indiana or Kentucky.
Meanwhile, following up on GC’s earlier note, the Enquirer reports that Reds broadcaster Jeff Brantley is free to use Hunt’s, Heinz or Del Monte, since he and all the other broadcasters “have been asked to stay out of the players lounge and dining room.” If this had happened last year, do you think Joe Nuxhall would have been included in the ban?
“Several times requested more alcohol … slapped male flight attendant with open hand … put in plastic restraints … exposed genitals in an apparent attempt to urinate … head-butted the assisting passenger … captain requested emergency approach to Dallas-Fort Worth airport.”…
“I don’t think anyone could listen to or read that (report) without being horrified,” U.S. District Judge John Steele said, just before sentencing the 27-year-old Cornacchia to one year and one day in federal prison, with supervised release for three years, including substance abuse and anger management programs, plus a $4,000 fine.
“At no time during that flight did I mean to hurt anybody … I harmed mostly myself, obviously,” Cornacchia said. “I haven’t been drinkin’ for seven months here, and I just want to move on with my life and try to keep playing hockey.”…
Cornacchia’s status as a professional athlete bought him free rounds of golf, free dinners, attention from women, adoring fans — even here in Southwest Florida.
In two and a half months, a whole new Everblades team will take the ice at Germain Arena. Some will know Cornacchia’s story, some may not. Some may choose to take Ambien to help themselves through those long road trips. Some may mix it with large amounts of alcohol.
Night after night, they’ll take the ice, the fans will cheer, and they will spend five minutes in the penalty box if they head-butt an opponent.
Meanwhile, in a U.S. federal prison as close to his family in Toronto as he can get, Cornacchia will sit in his cell, day after day, his hockey gear in storage, the taunts of nearby inmates the only cheers he hears.
Fernando Rodney’s been installed as the new closer in Detroit following a Todd Jones blown save on Friday. The latter reliever tells the Detroit News’ Bob Wojnowski, “”I’ve been to the depths of everything emotionally, but this is just one of those things you have to go through, too.” With this kind of range, there’s no reason Jones can’t make his acting debut in a dinner theatre production of “The Rod Beck Story”. (link taken from Repoz and Baseball Think Factory)
“You know, you’re born into the big leagues and then you’re born a closer and then one day you’re no longer trusted with the brunt of the load in the ninth inning. My day came — what is it, July 27? — so there’s no spilled milk here.”
Jones stopped and referenced Leyland, who always stood behind him but couldn’t do it now.
“I mean, I love that guy,” Jones said, his lip quivering, his voice cracking.
Leyland wanted it known he wasn’t scapegoating Jones, that he greatly appreciated his effort, that urgency simply was mounting.
“He handled it like the entire pro he is,” Leyland said. “We’re not throwing Todd Jones under the bus. I have to make decisions that I think are in the best interests of the ballclub, and right now, I think it’s in our best interests to try somebody else for a while.”
“I’m a pro, I’m a Tiger,” Jones said. “I’m a big boy. I’m 40, so you knew this day had to come sometime. I can’t question anything (Leyland) has done because he’s done a lot for me, taken a lot of heat for me, and I’ve done a pretty good job for him too. I don’t like it but I’ll live with it because I respect the guy that told me.”
“As much as (Jeff) Brantley might be baseball’s leading purveyor of hot air, that still doesn’t excuse Griffey making an on-field motion even more distasteful than Brantley’s mullet” scolds Yahoo Sports’ ‘Duk of claims Junior made a throat-slashing gesture towards the Reds’ mouthpiece this past Saturday night while crossing home plate. Without wishing to debate matters of decorum, can we really blame Griffey for expressing the same sentiments held by virtually every person that’s ever heard Brantley call a game?
WBZ’s Carl Stevens considers the crumbling relationship between Manny Ramirez and the Boston Red Sox (above), though isn’t it a tad one-sided to paint Boston’s disgruntled left-fielder as being all about the money? Standing room tickets are $50 at Fenway Park, the franchise is a cash-printing machine, yet the poor, suffering ownership are being encouraged — by the local media, no less —- to cut salary in 2009, if not sooner.
It’s hard to imagine what Manny might have to moan about given a $20 million annual salary. But he’s a rather crucial component in Boston’s two World Series Championships in the past 89 years. For those who cannot abide by Ramirez taking games off, bitching about his contract status in midseason, etc., there’s only one solution that makes sense before Friday’s trade deadline : a straight-up trade swap with Detroit for Gary Sheffield.
Newcastle midfielder/reprobate Joey Barton was sprung from prison earlier today after serving just two months of a half-year stretch for beating someone up in front of a Liverpool McDonald’s. Though it seems a bit mysterious how authorities arrived at the conclusion Barton had seen the error of his ways, the Guardian’s Barney Ronay attempts to imagine just how the parole hearing went down :
INT. A MANCHESTER PRISON. DAY.
A THREE-MAN PAROLE BOARD IS SITTING BEHIND A TABLE INSPECTING A THICK FILE MARKED “BARTON J”. A SULLEN LOOKING MAN WEARING A DENIM SUIT COVERED IN ARROWS IS SEATED BEFORE THEM. HE LOOKS BORED.
Man in suit: “Joseph Anthony Barton, your files say you’ve served 74 days of a six-month sentence. Do you feel you’ve been rehabilitated?”
Joey Barton: “Rehabilitated? Well, now let me see. I don’t have any idea what that means.”
Man in suit: “Well, it means that you’re ready to rejoin society.”
Joey Barton: “I know what you think it means sonny. To me it’s just a made-up word. A politician’s word, so young fellas like yourself can wear a suit and a tie, and have a job. What do you really want to know? Am I sorry for what I did?”
Man in suit: “Well, are you?”
Joey Barton: “There’s not a day goes by I don’t feel regret. Not because I’m in here, or because you think I should. I look back on the way I was then: a young stupid kid who committed that terrible crime. I want to talk to him. I want to try and talk some sense to him, tell him the way things are. But I can’t. That kid’s long gone and this 25-year-old’s all that’s left. I got to live with that. Rehabilitated? It’s just a bull$hit word. So you go on and stamp your form, sonny, and stop wasting my time. Because to tell you the truth, I don’t give a sh1t.”
THE MAN IN THE SUIT PRESSES A LARGE RUBBER STAMP INTO AN INK PAD, STAMPS HIS FORM AND LIFTS THE STAMP TO REVEAL THE WORD “APPROVED” IN BLOCK CAPITALS.
Newsday’s Ken Berger reports the Knicks and Nuggets are negotiating a swap of the latter’s Renaldo Balkman for F Bobby Jones and PG Taurean Green. Clearly, the the clock has run out on predictions Balkman would emerge as the next Dennis Rodman — though there’s still plenty of time for him to hang out with Eddie Vedder and Jack Haley if so inclined.
The deal would mark the end of Balkman’s mostly confusing tenure with the Knicks, who selected him with the 20th pick two years ago when Isiah Thomas said Phoenix would’ve swiped him if he hadn’t. That scenario appears even more dubious now that the former coach of the Suns, Mike D’Antoni, is ready to ship Balkman out for little more than roster fodder.
The deal was proposed late last week and is being discussed internally by both clubs, the front-office official familiar with the situation said. If the two-for-one deal goes through, it would leave the Knicks with 17 players under contract, although Green and Jones – who have non-guaranteed contracts – expect to be waived. It would get the Knicks back to the 15-player roster limit and save them Balkman’s $1.32 million against the salary cap.
I recently did a Texas Monthly piece on sports and Presidential candidates, and while it was a cinch to call the Democrat “the Oregon State basketball’s coach’s brother-in-law,” there did not seem to be an easy reference for his Republican opponent. He was a Navy boxer (which is what I finally went with), a well-known critic of the UFC, enjoys Bill Bidwill’s money and thought highly of Pat Tillman (whom he’d never met). But you just don’t get a heavy sports vibe off the guy.
If the need arises and the range is close, Mark Salter will edit John McCain in midsentence. After 19 years at each other’s side, neither man gives it a second thought. When a writer for The New Yorker was interviewing them last year about their latest best-selling book, the talk turned to hockey and the Arizona senator’s admiration for Wayne Gretzky, who coaches the Phoenix Coyotes. “Wayne Gretzky is one of the all-time best American athletes!” McCain proclaimed. But even before his boss finished speaking, Salter had spotted a slip-up: the hockey legend is from Ontario. “Yes,” Salter interjected, “Gretzky is one of the best American athletes … from Canada!”
(to be fair, the Madden Curse usually involves a broken bone or a torn something-or-other. But enforced retirement will do, too)
Seriously, I’m rooting for round-the-clock coverage of Manny Ramirez’ most recent pissing match with Red Sox ownership, if only because if leaves less airtime for discussion and debate of Brett Favre’s stand-off with the only team he’s ever played for the team he’s spent almost his entire career playing for.. Fitted Sweats’ Jeff Johnson is eager to see the latter situation resolved, if only because “the only people dumber than Favre thus far are pride-filled head coach Mike McCarthy and GM Ted Thompson who are displaying the classic, Wisconsin person-with-authority ineptitude, blindness and inflexibility.” That’s a hell of a way to talk about Jay Tiller, and quite unfair to boot. But either way, Johnson’s not buying McCarthy’s professed commitment to Aaron Rogers :
Is this fucking tee ball? Special Olympics?
“Brett, Aaron’s parents dropped him off here at 3:30 and he has yet to touch the football. So please give it to him.”
This is like the goddamn twilight zone. I don’t give a shit about Favre’s legacy. Or treating the man with respect. Or the people who say he’s been on the decline and last year was a fluke. Last year Favre had a halfway decent supporting cast and had his best completion percentage EVER. Look it up. He’s simply a better QB than Rodgers. Even as old as he is, he’s in the top 5 or 10 QBs in the NFL. It’s foolish to bench the guy for waffling.
Fred Smoot is probably a smoodge smidge past his prime as a player, but the Redskins cornerback is just about primed to assume his rightful share of adulation as a Bizarro Washington D.C. Sports Hero. From his teammates Clinton Portis and Chris Cooley — of sub-Chappelle Show multiplicitous alter ego status and confirmed Party Mormon/Motley Crue Superfanhood status, respectively — to general genius Gilbert Arenas, there is already a weird wealth of sporting goofballs in the nation’s capital making their presences felt online and on television. Which is good, in part because otherwise it’s hard to know what Wizznutzz would be writing about, other than the next generation of R&D on the Ike Austin Cheeseboot Pro. It’s going to be big.
Smoot’s recent showing on a D.C.-area sports talk radio show — reported by DC Sports Bog’s Dan Steinberg and relayed to me by Brendan Flynn via TrueHoop — shows why F-Smoo, too, may yet take his place in the D.C. sports goofball firmament. And maybe, considering Smoo’s ace reportage on Great Falls, VA neighbor Gilbert Arenas, a second gig as some sort of pro athlete society columnist. Is Lenny Dykstra’s magazine still hiring?
“I rode by his house not too long ago and I think he put an oasis in his backyard, he’s got his pool and his waterfall back there,” [Smoot said]. “I seen a piece of mountain in his backyard the last time I passed through there. So when they finish carving into that mountain, I can go back there and see what he got going.” Right. A mountain. Oh, did I mention that Chris Knoche was on ESPN980’s Sports Reporters on Wednesday, and he said that he heard from a kid on the work crew that Gilbert’s putting three bull sharks in a massive aquarium that’s part of his new million-dollar outdoor pool complex, which, like Smoot said, features a waterfall, as well as a grotto?
On his energy bar (which is called “Smack” — ed): “It’s all organic. I made this bar mostly out of honey, and it don’t have a lot of preservatives or calories in it, that’s what i tried to cut out of it.”
On his social life: “I settled down man. See, c’mon, Fred Smoot, when you first met me I was about 20 years old. C’mon, now I’m 28, 29. C’mon. As time goes on we get older, we make better decisions.”
On his girlfriend’s race: “She’s from South Carolina, country girl….Actually she’s a tweener, she’s what I call a tweener, play as a linebacker and a D end. You know, her mom’s white, her dad’s black.”
On her profession: “She’s a lawyer. You know, I had to get somebody who could actually equal my talking. You know, that was one thing I had to do.”
On his personality: “Well, you know, I like to be more than a football player. I think with athletes, a lot of people don’t get to meet the real us….Me, I’m gonna be Fred Smoot 365 days a year.”
Which reminds me: you’ll have no way to check this, really, since I only post once a week or so at most (I’ve been busy of late: when all the real writers go on vacation, in July and August, I tend to get a lot of work), but I wanted to make this promise to the CSTB readership. And I hope you’ll hold me to it. I, too, promise to be Fred Smoot 365 days a year. Starting…now.
The Philadelphia Soul have joined the Phantoms, Wings and Kixx in Philadelphia’s sporting pantheon; i.e. the one that doesn’t count against the drought. Is there any doubt the MLS Cup will be next?
The Phillies, on the other hand, may only ever win a Series if the innings where they face good starting pitching never count. Against relievers they are absolutely golden. Thanks to a rain delay the Phils and Braves are still just in the 8th; after trailing 5-0 (Adam Eaton allowed three runs as the first man out of the pen) they took a 12-5 lead on home runs from five different players (including Jimmy Rollins, for the first time since June 16). Then in the last ten minutes Rudy Seanez and Ryan Madson gave back five, meaning Lidge is on to work the 9th.
The big buzz among the phans, however, is regarding J.A. Happ, who was pulled from his AAA start for no apparent reason after 2 2/3 innings, presumably because he’s either getting traded or returning to the big club.
While a pitch count of 100+ hasn’t prevented Johan Santana from working into the 9th inning at Shea (Mets lead, 9-1), a temperature of 105 degrees has caused damage to the box office receipts of the PCL’s Dodgers affiliate.
There’s about 200 people —- including yours truly — watching the Las Vegas 51’s, winners of 4 consecutive, take on Felix Pie and the Iowa Cubs. Despite the sparse attendance , a lucky couple was upgraded to cushy front row seats, by virtue of their winning the 1-800-Pack Rat Sweepstakes.
It’s a fairly shitty prize considering the front rows are empty (and offer no shelter from the sun).
After Mitch Jones’ 3-run homer over Cashman Field’s RF wall opened the scoring, the tannoy announcer solemnly intoned, “today would’ve been Leo Durocher’s birthday.”
Isn’t it still?
The 51’s sold about 16 thousand tickets combined for Friday’s win over Omaha and last night’s 13-8 defeat of the Cubs. 15 degrees cooler + leftover Brad Penny bobbleheads makes a huge difference, apparently.
(addendum : a fellow patron suggested with a straight face that today’s Arena Bowl might be a drag on ticket sales. It’s entirely possible, much as I believe the ballpark will fill up just as soon as church service have completed.)
(update dos : 51’s 8, Cubs 7. Despite blowing leads of 3-0, 6-4 and 7-6, the hosts closed to within 4 1/2 games of division-leading Sacramento. Vegas SS Chin-Lung Hu — greeted in each plate appearance with The Who’s “Who Are You?” , was 3 for 3 and scored 3 runs, the last of which being the game-winner. Hu worked out a walk against Kevin Hart, moved to second on a balk and eventually came in to score when John Lindsay drove a ball to the warning track with the outfield drawn in. Given a round of sincere applause by Cubbie fans — possibly suffering from heat stroke — Hart fired his glove into the Iowa dugout. I’m pretty sure his glove was traveling faster than whatever he threw to Lindsay).
(there’s something happening down there…and I don’t think it’s the comedy stylings of Fred Travalena)
Never mind living up to the hype, Antonio Margarito’s TKO victory over Miguel Cotto in the 11th round last night exceeded most lofty expectations, except perhaps, for those of the defeated favorite. Margarito knocked Cotto down twice in the 11th, the latter’s corner throwing in the towel on the second occasion. Neither blow was the most devastating punch Margarito threw all evening, rather, the accumulated damage Cotto suffered for several rounds had left him almost entirely defenseless and out of gas by the fight’s conclusion.
Margarito was apparently ahead on two of the three judges’ cards when the fight was stopped, and while I wouldn’t dispute Cotto landed a larger percentage of quality punches earlier in the fight, few of ‘em had a lasting impact on his tenacious challenger. From the 7th round onward, Maragarito had successfully worn Cotto down (consecutive uppercuts in a neutral corner exemplifying the shift in momentum), and barring a glaring error by the former IBF champ, it seemed just a matter of time before Cotto would suffer his first professional loss.
Max Kellerman suggested the bout would begin with a ferocity reminiscent of Hagler/Hearns, and while that wasn’t the craziest projection ever uttered, there was no chance these fighters would maintain that short of pace beyond the early rounds. What was surprising is that Margarito looked so sharp while withstanding Cotto’s initial assault, while conversely, Cotto did a masterful job of staying upright, let alone landing a few effective counterpunches over the course of rounds 9 and 10.
During a week in which the Columbus P.D. did battle with paying customers at a Crew/West Ham friendly of all things, there was something kind of awesome about Maragarito and Cotto’s rival fans waving their respective flags, trash talking throughout the night….and when it was all over, mostly exchanging handshakes or high-fives. Fighting at the MGM Grand was confined to the ring, and I witnessed no unpleasantness in the casino afterwards either (the proliferation of Ed Hardy tees excepted). Whether the high ticket price or the bonhomie generated by a tremendous match have something to do with it, I dunno, but maybe the beer muscles develop faster at NYC’s sporting venues.
The New York Post suggests Manny Ramirez might be bound for Philly. I say put him in a package with Jon Lester – then the Sox could pick up Ryan Howard two years sooner than they’re inevitably gonna.
…[S]ources said the Mets’ No. 1 nemesis, the Phillies, have the best chance to trade for Ramirez because Philadelphia manager Charlie Manuel has perhaps the strongest relationship with him of anyone in the majors.
Manuel was Ramirez’s hitting coach with the Indians from 1994-99 and his manager in Cleveland in 2000, and the two have remained close.
“I remember the day he flushed a towel down the toilet and messed up the whole water system at Jacobs Field,” Manuel said.
Ramirez thought nothing of it…
In Cleveland, Ramirez would have mail sent to Manuel’s house. Manuel knew Ramirez well – still does – and said the slugger’s antics and flightiness should not be mistaken for a lack of intelligence.
“Don’t take it for him not being smart, because he’s sure not dumb,” Manuel said.
That said, Manuel believes one of Ramirez’s strengths as a player is that he doesn’t overthink things.
One day, Manuel and Ramirez were doing a little hitting and a little joking in the batting cage at Yankee Stadium.
“Shut up, Charlie. I know what I’m doing,” Ramirez playfully told Manuel.
“I’ve got a feeling if you knew what you were doing, you wouldn’t be worth [a darn],” Manuel shot back.
What’s up with the “a” inside those brackets? Does that mean Charlie said that Manny wasn’t worth “shit,” rather than “a damn”?
Anyway, such a move would certainly remove the clubhouse diva title from the Phillies’ reigning MVP and shortstop. And since the Red Sox need relief help and Brett Myers makes $12 million next year, the two teams could fashion a “my problem for yours” sort of arrangement. But of all the major league cities Myers could end up in, the one where he actually committed an alleged act of domestic violence might be the least likely. And in the end, it’s really, really hard to see the Phillies trading for a player of that temperament or salary, no matter how rich and aggressive John Middleton may try to be.
Plus, it’s an item in the Post. But if I were Theo Epstein, I would totally give Ed Wade a call.
The England cricket team’s newest member, Darren Pattinson, must have been thrilled when, just last week, he got the phone call it felt like he’d been waiting all his life for: “The sofa you ordered is now in stock – when would you like it delivered?” And the day kept getting better when someone else rang up and asked him to play for the national side. Pausing only to ask “Which country and which sport?” and to rearrange delivery of the sofa – the fifth day of the Test should be safe, he thought – he rushed out of the house eager to meet his team-mates, who were some interesting people from another country.
Poor man, it’s not his fault. If, say, the Sri Lankan selectors rang me up and asked if I fancied turning my arm over, I’d be sorely tempted – but I think I’d probably check it wasn’t an administrative error. And that’s what Pattinson’s selection smacks of. Is his mobile number just one digit different from Matthew Hoggard’s? It must be something like that. In a way they’re lucky they got someone who, it turned out, had played a bit of cricket.
And I think we should go easy on that sort of cock-up. It happens to us all: I was once filming a comedy show which also required a child actor, and the director had, rather shamefacedly, to admit to the producer and me that he’d got the kids’ names mixed up after the auditions and booked the crap one by mistake. But of course we were far too nice to say that to the child, and we just coped. So I think it reflects very well on the England selectors and team that they similarly took the mistake politely in their stride.
No – no blame can be attached to anyone over this unfortunate episode unless you listen to those conspiracy theorists who would have us believe that Pattinson was picked deliberately. This is almost unthinkable as it implies a confluence of cynicism and incompetence unprecedented even in the grisly annals of England selection policy. To act by the letter rather than the spirit of the national eligibility rules is understandable where brilliant players are concerned, but to do so for a roof-tiler who’s a keen cricketer in his spare time seems very unlikely. To overlook tried and tested bowlers for a newcomer who’s only played 11 first-class games would make sense if he were a 19-year-old hope for the future, but when it happens to someone who’s 29, then it’s definitely just an admin screw-up which we can all have a good laugh about.
(conditions at CSTB’s resort of choice leave a bit to be desired. Tonight’s entertainment headliner : TBA)
While on a periodic fact-finding mission in Las Vegas that just happens to coincide with the Cotto/Margarito bout (and Friday’s blatant demonstration that Team Nike USA are at the very least, one of the best teams in North America), I’ve learned a few things. Hardly revelations, mind you, but bona fide discoveries for a sheltered character like myself.
a) I went to my hotel’s barber this morning and he was dressed as Wayne Newton. No, thank you. I badly need a haircut, but I’m not gonna partonize a Wayne Newton impersonator who doubles as a barber. (if this was in fact, Wayne Newton, I suppose I apologize).
b) You’re all familiar with Hot Chicks With Douchebags, right? Nowhere on the site is there a disclaimer explaining every one of their photographs was shot in Las Vegas.
c) if a showroom can get away with charging $63 to see Jim Gaffigan, Neil Hamburger should command at least $100 a head, plus an additional $50 if you’d like to leave the show early.
While the Phillies’ 8-2 loss to Atlanta last night coupled with Mike Pelfrey’s steller performance against the Cards dropped Philadelphia to 2 games behind the Mets in the NL East, there’s a much bigger picture to consider this morning. All-Star 2B Chase Utley’s received praise from a local monthly for his efforts on behalf of needy kitty-cats, an initiative that not affords him considerable praise and respect from this corner (ie. there’s about 28 cats living in a house behind mine that would surely love the run of the Utley Estate), but I’m doubly impressed the Philly superstar would dare risk ridicule from persons who think owning a cat is like OD’ing on Depo-Provera.
Though I’m no hurry to see F-Mart become his era’s position-player answer to Scott Kazmir, Giles wouldn’t be nearly as useless playing right field for the Mets as Evan Roberts made it seem this morning on WFAN. Giles’ HR totals have decreased considerably over the past few years, which Roberts sneeringly implied had something to do with PED’s. Without knowing anything for certain about Giles’ chemical intake, he’s also been toiling for the past 5 seasons at Petco Park, the place where pets fly balls go to die.
Oscar De La Hoya, 35, wants to fight one more time. Despite losing three of his last six fights and correctly toying with retirement for several years, he remains the box-office bonanza for his sport. If he fights, it is a huge deal. If he fights somebody really good, they start throwing around the word “mega.”
Add to that all the farewell schmaltz that can be trotted out, and boxing has a real gem to sell.
The date and site have been chosen: Dec. 6 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Mark it down. Christmas comes early for fight fans.
De La Hoya has lost mega-fights to Felix Trinidad and Floyd Mayweather Jr., so there is incentive to try to avenge either of those, especially in the case of Trinidad, who handed De La Hoya his first defeat in a controversial decision in 1999 that still irks De La Hoya.
Arum answers both of those scenarios.
“Mayweather is retired, and Trinidad walks around weighing 200 pounds,” he said.
That leaves the winner of Cotto-Margarito as the obvious next one up. Except for one thing — De La Hoya’s uncanny sense of his fan base and the marketplace.
“If Margarito wins, Oscar won’t fight him,” Arum says. “He won’t fight another Mexican in his last fight. I tested him on that. I asked about [Julio Cesar] Chavez Jr., which would be his easiest test. He said no. The Mexicans would hate him.”
Interestingly, even though he would be missing out on a huge payday, Margarito seems to understand De La Hoya’s predicament and even agrees with his decision.
So, if Cotto wins, he would appear to be the choice, even though there was some recent talk that De La Hoya didn’t like that matchup much either, because he lives in Puerto Rico much of the time now and his wife is Puerto Rican.
….but not to Queens. For the mere price of OF Jose Tabata, pitchers Phil Coke, George Kotos, and Ross Ohlendorf, the Yankees have acquired OF Xavier Nady along with Damaso Marte. Never mind what this does to the price of Raul Ibanez, who’s gonna be the one to break the news to Kuff & The Buttheads?
What I’ve done, I think, is become a blogger in columnist’s clothing. The secret to the blogosphere is that bloggers usually don’t have that proximity to coaches and athletes. They aren’t hindered by a need to get along or kiss up to the people they write about. That affords them a certain freedom they can use or abuse.
The Trail Blazers, specifically General Manager Kevin Pritchard, may be in violation of federal regulations in regard to public comments about the medical condition of former player Darius Miles…
[Pritchard]’s statements could be a violation of the privacy provisions of the Health Insurance Portability and Availability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). Since the HIPAA privacy rule went into effect on April 14, 2003, pro and college teams in all sports have been very reluctant to reveal specific details of player injuries without the permission of the player.
Don’t lose sleep over the puppet piece in the Portland Tribune today… Miles’ agent would like the Blazers to stfu when it comes to talking about his career-ending injury so someone will sign him.
The Trib is getting used her (sic) by Miles’ agent. Loved the kiss up line from the writer to the agent about, “teammates and coaches believe him to be relatively harmless to team harmony.”
Jaynes actually wrote two posts columns about Miles on the 24th. I agree the HIPAA issue really isn’t one, but what about the drug suspension leak?
Manny Ramirez, supposedly suffering from a sore right knee, won’t be a participant in tonight’s Yankees/Red Sox encounter. Porfolio’s Franz Lidz is amongst those predicting Manny’s days in a Sox uniform are numbered, suggesting last week’s outburst to the Boston Herald was the most ill-advised stunt in the left-fielder’s long career. Topped only by this, however :
I once asked a prominent relief pitcher to describe the most idiotic thing he had witnessed in the big leagues. “That’s easy,” he said, and launched into the story of a former teammate—an All-Star outfielder—who refused to use toilet paper. A clubhouse attendant supplied the player with a daily ration of hand towels, which, when soiled, would be flushed.
One afternoon the reliever came in from batting practice to find the locker room awash in frantic maintenance workers. When he asked a plumber what all the fuss was about, he was told that a washcloth-clogged toilet had overflowed and was threatening to submerge the bathroom stalls. “Of all the dumb stuff I’ve seen that particular outfielder do,” the stopper told me, “that was the dumbest.”
That particular outfielder was, of course, Manny Ramirez.
Nike said today it will drop ads for its Hyperdunk basketball shoes that critics said played off some viewers’ homophobia.
In its second statement on the controversy, Nike said it would withdraw advertising critics found offensive “to underline our ongoing commitment to supporting diversity in sport and the workplace.”
Nike spokesman Bob Applegate told The Oregonian that three separate print, poster and billboard ads would be removed “as expeditiously as possible.” The ads were created by Portland’s Wieden+Kennedy and titled “That Ain’t Right,” “Isn’t That Cute,” and “Punks Jump Up.” He declined further comment.
At least two well-trafficked blogs – Gawker.com and ESPN’s TrueHoop — along with comments posted on Wieden+Kennedy’s own blog WKStudio, called on Nike to withdraw at least one ad appearing along the streets and subways of New York City.
I can fully understand why a large corporation like Nike would want to appear sensitive in this matter — particularly when called on the carpet by Gawker Media, truly the conscience of the nu-media as we know it. That said, I do not believe one is necessarily a homophobe because they are afraid of looking like Frederic Weis .
As Jose Reyes circled the bases at Shea Stadium with his right index finger held high in the air after his go-ahead, three-run home run off Ryan Madson on Wednesday night, Phillies broadcaster Larry Andersen (above, left) suggested on air that one of the team’s pitchers “oughta put one in his neck” for his showmanship.
That didn’t happen, but Charlie Manuel acknowledged before yesterday’s game that some members of the team thought Reyes’ display was insulting.
“I look at both sides of that,” Manuel said. “He’s a very talented player and he can be one of the best players in baseball. But at the same time, he’s got some growing to do, and he’s got some learning to do.”
“A lot of times, if you take the personality away from a guy, he doesn’t perform as well,” Manuel said. “That’s a fine area there . . . Cockiness can be good if it’s handled right.”
Given that Reyes — suddenly a whipping boy for the Philadelphia papers, too! — manages to turn up at the ballpark earlier than 15 minutes before the first pitch, perhaps Manuel ought to worry about his own clubhouse.
(Cubs mgr Leo Durocher: did he burn out talent like this?)
The Cubs managed a typical ‘08 Wrigley win this evening, in producing enough runs against the Marlins so that even our bullpen couldn’t throw it away. And they tried, loading the bases twice in the final two innings of what finally ended up a 6-3 victory. Is that a legit stat — the number of runs needed to win a game with Howry coming in? Even Ron Santo and Pat Hughes have been bitching about him lately, which in Cubworld is like Tim Conway punching someone out.
Now, maybe we’re talking. Niekro was a young lad of 24, coming off a 14-win season, when the Cubs dealt him on April 25 to San Diego for another right-hander, Dick Selma.
Selma did help the 1969 Cubs with 10 wins. But he went 0-6 on the other side of that mid-August hill. He never won another game for the Cubs, and only 15 for anyone else.
Niekro went on to 197 more wins across the next 20 seasons.
There was no shortage of explanations or excuses or examples of divine intervention for those who wanted to find them.
J-Roll had the best vantage point in the house for all but one at bat of the Phillies’ 3-1 loss to the Mets Thursday afternoon. It was fascinating to hear ESPN’s resident baseball expert Stephen A. Smith hail Jimmy Rollins yesterday as someone who “does what he says he’s going to do”, while his Mets counterpart, Jose Reyes, “is a shell of his former self”.
Said shell hit a game winning 3 run HR last night, while scoring the first run of Wednesday’s matinee after walking and stealing second in the third inning. Reyes also leads Rollins in every important offensive category save for doubles this season. At what point will commentators have to acknowledge that not only has Reyes successfully rebounded from a poor second half of the ‘07 season, but for the 2nd time in 3 years he’s a legit MVP candidate?
If the events of two nights ago generated a near-suicidal overreaction from this corner, the most recent pair of Mets wins over Phillies revealed the former to have exactly the sort of poise I doubted they’d summon. Virtually every discussion about the infuriatingly erratic Oliver Perez has to include the disclaimer, “he’s occasionally lights-out brilliant”. Today was one of such occasions, and Perez (12 K’s, 7.2 IP, 1 solo bomb allowed to Jayson Werth) resembled a bona-fide No. 1 starter rather than the strike-zone phobic enigma who seems to take the mound every other start.
Perez wasn’t alone on the redemption front ; Carlos Delgado, nothing short of a pariah in May, once again came thru with a game changing blow, the first baseman’s opposite field, 2-RBI double off J.C. Romero breaking a 1-1 deadlock in the last of the 8th. Delgado was 2-for-17 entering today’s game against Romero, but as Gary Cohen was quick to cite, “that was a different Carlos Delgado”. Likewise, Aaron Heilman, possibly the most widely despised Notre Dame alumnus this side of Mike Golic, induced Met-killer Werth to fly out to Beltran with the bases loaded in the top of the 8th.
How tremendous was 79 year old Jamie Moyer (7 IP, 2 hits, 3 walks, 1 run, 6 K’s)? Even Johan Santana wants to criticize Moyer’s teammates for the lack of run support. In all seriousness, you’d have to go back to some of the Mets’ epic NL East battles with the Cards (’85, ‘87) and Pittsburgh (’90) to recall regular season games at Shea that seemingly had so much at stake. Neither team is likely to go totally into the tank between now and October, nor are the Marlins, so let’s hear for it for what oughta be an awesome final two months.
On an entirely different tip, if Wilpon TV’s talking heads wanna champion the joys of raising kitty-cats, more fucking power to ‘em. “Time to man up and get a dog”, Mr. Mottram? Hey, if we’re gonna be all size queen about it, how about really confirming your manhood by getting two dogs?
I live with a pair of dogs, two cats and assorted other dangerous critters (one of whom runs a hosting company). Ron and Keith are guilty of many aesthetic crimes, but owning felines isn’t one of them. Let’s stamp out pussyphobia in our lifetime.
Sure, you recognize the names Mark Eaton and Greg Ostertag. But what of Rusty LaRue, Ben Handlogten, Adam Keefe and Pace Mannion? Basketball and race relations experts alike owe a debt of gratitude to SLC Dunk’s Kris247 and his carefully researched treatise, “The Utah Jazz : A Stiff White Retrospective” :
Greg Foster
Admit it, you were searching every Fanzz store in Salt Lake looking for a Foster jersey after that clutch three pointer in the 1996-97 NBA Finals. But, his numbers tell the real story: 3.8 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 0.3 blocks per game, while averaging 13 minutes a game over four season. You have to love the dude’s intensity though, he managed to infuriate Shaq after making a throat slashing motion towards the Lakers’ bench after a big dunk. Unfortunately for Foster, his total lack of basketball IQ was responsible for the Jazz letting him walk after the 1999 season.
The SF Chronicle’s Scott Ostler is smart enough to realize there’s one sure-fire way to have a mailbag as entertaining as Dave D’Alessandro’s —- write the questions yourself.
Q: Doc, Chris Mullin, the Warriors’ executive vice president, talked Wednesday about the team’s “vision,” which I assume means its master plan. What is that vision?
A: What the Warriors are doing is shuffling the deck so furiously that it will be November before anyone notices Baron Davis is no longer around. It’s an old casino trick. Some dealers actually toss the deck into the ceiling fan. Barring a monumental run of good luck, there’s no way the Warriors have covered the loss of Davis.
Q: So you’re saying the Warriors made a mistake by not offering Davis what the Clippers gave him?
A: Lord, no. There is a 1 percent chance that at the end of Davis’ five-year deal with the Clippers both sides will say, “Gee, that worked out well!”
Deuce Of Davenport has already supplied the obligatory Mark Churma joke. I can’t for the life of me understant why there’s not a Ray Lewis Special Edition for sale.
If there’s a Detroit Lions model available, I’d like to petition Michael Apted to interview every child who slept in one….every 7 years.
