What the heck is up with Major League Baseball?
Terry Francona can't wear a sweatshirt? Let's see, health problems aside, no self-respecting manager should ever wear a sweatshirt. Yeah, right. And the reason why they wear uniforms is that they could play again? Or is it tradition? If it's tradition, then why not respect the idea of a guy who just can't feasibly wear the uniform properly but can still coach?
I also must add, hot young pitchers can't pitch anymore. I understand that the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry is a heated one, and you have to keep the players in check, but Joba Chamberlain is a fairly young pitcher in a major league game that he has barely played. Even if he's spot on, he wasn't aiming at Youkilis' head. Seriously. I don't like the Yankees. I'm not a fan of the Red Sox. I just don't like it when the game seems to be corrupted in opposite directions.
The deal with Terry Francona was ridiculous. I haven't seen a single sports column out there (and if there is one, please tell me) that says that MLB was right for inspecting Terry Francona's uniform while his pitcher was on the mound. Yes, in the middle of the bottom half of the inning.... It's ridiculous. I wouldn't even shed a tear if he were to sue the MLB for something like "harassment" because that was all that 'uniform inspection' was: unequivocal harassment. This smells of the same marketing that guides what the NFL coaches will wear. I long for the days of 'what the coaches wanted to wear. And to me, it still smacks of pure harassment in more senses than one.
And I can't get past the fact that no longer can pitchers use the ball to intimidate the batter. A batter can hit a ball back to the pitcher and he would never get fined. I'm just saying. This is a ridiculous baseball world we live in.
On the bright side, both things happened in the most over-hyped rivalry in the United States.
Friday, August 31, 2007
Saturday, July 21, 2007
Barry, What Will We Do When You Are Gone?
So, since I don't like to mention death and anyone who's obviously alive in the same breath, I had a difficult time thinking about this one. Not really, but that's the world I live in. That's the way I feel like I am supposed to think. But philosophy aside, I was walking through my office the other day and tripped into a conversation. I rarely walk through the sales portion of my office. They don't need me, and they can't really chat, as they are on the phone, seemingly all on the phone.
But it was a Friday afternoon, they were about to have a meeting and they were not on the phones. And I stumbled, tripped and nearly fell forward into a conversation. Barry Bonds. "Barry Bonds needs to have his arm broken...." interrupted with, "Almost no one would miss him if he died next week." And the person sitting in the cubicle next to him said, "Almost? Don't you mean no one?"
And I didn't say anything because I had a task list a mile and a half long and I was only a quarter mile into the thing. As I was working on a nearby computer, I listened to the conversation. After the heightened hyperbole of the wish for Barry's death, the conversation turned to the relatively reasonable conversation. The woman who wanted Bonds' arm broken didn't step away from her wish. But the conversation about his death went to the side.
What is it about this man that makes us so convinced that he's guilty of something? Game of Shadows? Or is it that you helped him shoot himself full of steroids? I'm not professing Barry Bonds' innocence, by any stretch of the imagination, because I don't know he didn't do steroids or any other performance enhancing drugs. Simply put, baseball is full of cheaters. We don't know why they cheat, but if you have watched baseball, then you know that cheating is a part of the game (Black Sox and Spit Balls anyone?)
I've read tons of commentary about the idea of cheating in baseball (just put Black, Sox, Spit and Balls into your search engine and you'll find some of it) and at the worst, we seriously think that Barry Bonds cheated. He's smaller now, and he's still hitting home runs. But the average sports fan doesn't take that into account.
Do I want Barry Bonds to hit 756? Not really. Do I want him to bypass the man who's character helped him hit his baseballs when no one else would support him? No, not really.
Do I want Alex Rodriguez or Albert Pujols or any other guy to more quickly pass by whatever number Barry puts up? Sure. But that's mainly my dislike for the person. Do I wish him ill? No. I dislike the person that Barry puts forward in the media.
Through it all, many people still seem to like the guy. Okay, a few people, most of them living in the Bay Area, but still people seem to like the guy.
I personally think, no matter how many people like or dislike the man, it's a weird world that we live in, where we put people like the Babe on a pedestal, but Barry, we want him in the sewer.
A very strange world. Now, I step off my soapbox of moral relativism.
But it was a Friday afternoon, they were about to have a meeting and they were not on the phones. And I stumbled, tripped and nearly fell forward into a conversation. Barry Bonds. "Barry Bonds needs to have his arm broken...." interrupted with, "Almost no one would miss him if he died next week." And the person sitting in the cubicle next to him said, "Almost? Don't you mean no one?"
And I didn't say anything because I had a task list a mile and a half long and I was only a quarter mile into the thing. As I was working on a nearby computer, I listened to the conversation. After the heightened hyperbole of the wish for Barry's death, the conversation turned to the relatively reasonable conversation. The woman who wanted Bonds' arm broken didn't step away from her wish. But the conversation about his death went to the side.
What is it about this man that makes us so convinced that he's guilty of something? Game of Shadows? Or is it that you helped him shoot himself full of steroids? I'm not professing Barry Bonds' innocence, by any stretch of the imagination, because I don't know he didn't do steroids or any other performance enhancing drugs. Simply put, baseball is full of cheaters. We don't know why they cheat, but if you have watched baseball, then you know that cheating is a part of the game (Black Sox and Spit Balls anyone?)
I've read tons of commentary about the idea of cheating in baseball (just put Black, Sox, Spit and Balls into your search engine and you'll find some of it) and at the worst, we seriously think that Barry Bonds cheated. He's smaller now, and he's still hitting home runs. But the average sports fan doesn't take that into account.
Do I want Barry Bonds to hit 756? Not really. Do I want him to bypass the man who's character helped him hit his baseballs when no one else would support him? No, not really.
Do I want Alex Rodriguez or Albert Pujols or any other guy to more quickly pass by whatever number Barry puts up? Sure. But that's mainly my dislike for the person. Do I wish him ill? No. I dislike the person that Barry puts forward in the media.
Through it all, many people still seem to like the guy. Okay, a few people, most of them living in the Bay Area, but still people seem to like the guy.
I personally think, no matter how many people like or dislike the man, it's a weird world that we live in, where we put people like the Babe on a pedestal, but Barry, we want him in the sewer.
A very strange world. Now, I step off my soapbox of moral relativism.
Sunday, July 1, 2007
Wimbledon.... What's Up With American Tennis?
Okay, that's all I wanted to say about American tennis. I just want to know what's up with American tennis? I don't have an answer to the question, I just wonder why we don't have a real Pete, Andre, Jimmy or John. We have Andy, a guy who's evolving and might turn into what we thought he would be before. And we have a whole league of second-to-first rate players who just can't beat the people of Europe or South America.
And Roger, while he's an excellent tennis player, phenomenal to watch, just doesn't have the 'it' factor like his buddy Tiger. And he's not American. Normally I'm quite a bit more inclusive (I love the fact that there are tons of interesting people in the NBA and the NHL, as well as the MLB, and I get tickled when there are non-Americans in the NFL). I just think that tennis, being a less-important sport in the US (if Wimbledon were cancelled this week due to the attempted terrorist acts, very few Americans would really care) is in desperate need of American players.
And I know I have heard the Mary Carillos and Johnny Macs of the world ask the same question (and try to answer it).
In the world of baseball, I think my family has hit an interesting point.
We get consistent free tickets to our local minor league (Frontier League) games, and we go. And we keep track of the St. Louis Cardinals with my cell phone. So, my Dad just loves going to the game... and keeping up with his St. Louis Cardinals.
Isn't technology wonderful?!
And Roger, while he's an excellent tennis player, phenomenal to watch, just doesn't have the 'it' factor like his buddy Tiger. And he's not American. Normally I'm quite a bit more inclusive (I love the fact that there are tons of interesting people in the NBA and the NHL, as well as the MLB, and I get tickled when there are non-Americans in the NFL). I just think that tennis, being a less-important sport in the US (if Wimbledon were cancelled this week due to the attempted terrorist acts, very few Americans would really care) is in desperate need of American players.
And I know I have heard the Mary Carillos and Johnny Macs of the world ask the same question (and try to answer it).
In the world of baseball, I think my family has hit an interesting point.
We get consistent free tickets to our local minor league (Frontier League) games, and we go. And we keep track of the St. Louis Cardinals with my cell phone. So, my Dad just loves going to the game... and keeping up with his St. Louis Cardinals.
Isn't technology wonderful?!
Monday, June 18, 2007
NBA, NHL, French Open and the US Open
Forgive me readers (not that I have any) for I have not written since many important sporting events have occurred.
I must congratulate my favorite team for winning the NBA finals. I can't help but gloat a bit, even if I think it would be good for the NBA to have a talented LeBron leading a talented Cleveland team to a classy win. Seriously, we don't worry about the media share with any other sport as much as we do the NBA finals.
The Spurs bored us because none of them are bad boys or cocky. Heck, Tony Parker's fiance couldn't even get us to pay attention. There's a problem with that if you're a sports fan.
Oh, what are we to do about the NHL? NBC tried and not even I, someone who knows what the crease is (and have screamed at the television about the player preceding the puck) couldn't keep watching it for all that long. But, so I mention it, congratulations Anaheim Ducks. I don't know why, but unless my Blues are playing, I can't watch hockey on television. And as many people know, the Blues were and are the biggest disappointment in my 'fan girl' world.
Every year, around this time, I prattle on about my favorite Hockey Trophy, and that is the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy, earned for the second year in a row by Pavel Datsyuk. And I prattled, just last year, in my other blog, just a bit about Sidney Crosby and the fact that the world is missing one of the greatest hockey players, ever. What the heck? We call Gretsky "The Great One" and this kid is doing exactly what Gretsky did. I'm almost rooting for him to play on the Canadian team in the next Olympics so that maybe, just maybe he can win the Stanley Cup, all of the other awards and the Gold Medal in the same year. That would be pretty cool.
Roger Federer, why the heck can't you take a year off and play clay only for that year with the goal of the career Grand Slam? It's the only chink in your 'greatest tennis player ever' armour. On the bright side, it brings about a rivalry for those of us who are tennis fans that is pretty cool to watch. Congrats Rafael Nadal on yet another (where's your greatness ribbon?) French Open.
And who among us doesn't like seeing the prize fighter win in the dirt?
Having been at the Player's Championship for our honeymoon, I can speak from personal experience... Tiger's so big, much bigger than the game. It is a good thing he's in the final group at a major, otherwise, non-serious golf fans wouldn't watch. My hubby and I, we would watch even if Tiger wasn't there. You may not know this, but I like a lot of the new young players and just want them to do well. Strangely though, Zach Johnson wasn't one of those that I knew about all that much before the Masters.
To get back to the point: I watched the US Open start to finish, sometimes sneaking into the boss' office at work, he does have the only television in the whole building. Still makes me wonder what happened on the 'big news' days. Did no one find out? Nonetheless, it proved to be quite exciting and fun to watch from start to end. I knew Tiger wasn't going to make that last putt. In my own mind, I couldn't compare what Tiger's impending fatherhood to anything I have been through, but I know I played some of the worst tennis of my life just before our wedding. Sure Tiger's got a lot more skill and ability than I do (at his sport, according to his buddy Roger, he isn't that good of a tennis player, or so I have read), but for a man who's usually such a clutch putter.... what the heck caused him to miss so many putts? I think that was a lack of concentration. And I think that was because his baby girl was due in less than a month.
Oh, and if you didn't know, apparently Sam Alexis was born June 18, 2007. And I congratulate the new Dad.
I must congratulate my favorite team for winning the NBA finals. I can't help but gloat a bit, even if I think it would be good for the NBA to have a talented LeBron leading a talented Cleveland team to a classy win. Seriously, we don't worry about the media share with any other sport as much as we do the NBA finals.
The Spurs bored us because none of them are bad boys or cocky. Heck, Tony Parker's fiance couldn't even get us to pay attention. There's a problem with that if you're a sports fan.
Oh, what are we to do about the NHL? NBC tried and not even I, someone who knows what the crease is (and have screamed at the television about the player preceding the puck) couldn't keep watching it for all that long. But, so I mention it, congratulations Anaheim Ducks. I don't know why, but unless my Blues are playing, I can't watch hockey on television. And as many people know, the Blues were and are the biggest disappointment in my 'fan girl' world.
Every year, around this time, I prattle on about my favorite Hockey Trophy, and that is the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy, earned for the second year in a row by Pavel Datsyuk. And I prattled, just last year, in my other blog, just a bit about Sidney Crosby and the fact that the world is missing one of the greatest hockey players, ever. What the heck? We call Gretsky "The Great One" and this kid is doing exactly what Gretsky did. I'm almost rooting for him to play on the Canadian team in the next Olympics so that maybe, just maybe he can win the Stanley Cup, all of the other awards and the Gold Medal in the same year. That would be pretty cool.
Roger Federer, why the heck can't you take a year off and play clay only for that year with the goal of the career Grand Slam? It's the only chink in your 'greatest tennis player ever' armour. On the bright side, it brings about a rivalry for those of us who are tennis fans that is pretty cool to watch. Congrats Rafael Nadal on yet another (where's your greatness ribbon?) French Open.
And who among us doesn't like seeing the prize fighter win in the dirt?
Having been at the Player's Championship for our honeymoon, I can speak from personal experience... Tiger's so big, much bigger than the game. It is a good thing he's in the final group at a major, otherwise, non-serious golf fans wouldn't watch. My hubby and I, we would watch even if Tiger wasn't there. You may not know this, but I like a lot of the new young players and just want them to do well. Strangely though, Zach Johnson wasn't one of those that I knew about all that much before the Masters.
To get back to the point: I watched the US Open start to finish, sometimes sneaking into the boss' office at work, he does have the only television in the whole building. Still makes me wonder what happened on the 'big news' days. Did no one find out? Nonetheless, it proved to be quite exciting and fun to watch from start to end. I knew Tiger wasn't going to make that last putt. In my own mind, I couldn't compare what Tiger's impending fatherhood to anything I have been through, but I know I played some of the worst tennis of my life just before our wedding. Sure Tiger's got a lot more skill and ability than I do (at his sport, according to his buddy Roger, he isn't that good of a tennis player, or so I have read), but for a man who's usually such a clutch putter.... what the heck caused him to miss so many putts? I think that was a lack of concentration. And I think that was because his baby girl was due in less than a month.
Oh, and if you didn't know, apparently Sam Alexis was born June 18, 2007. And I congratulate the new Dad.
Monday, June 11, 2007
Enough About Sports
Not Really, but...
I'm sure that someone might be curious. Someone, anyone, the air out there, someone might be curious. So, I thought I would tell. If you aren't curious, there will be a blog entry after this and there are a few before this.
Yes, I love many things besides sports. I'm a gardening nut. This year, due to financial issues completely unforeseen, I don't have much to spend on the yard, so the new and exciting, the stuff I would love to buy, I definitely can't. I quibbled just the other day about buying two books I was looking forward to reading.
I don't normally quibble about such things. So, gardening this year is simply weeding, cutting and plant tending. And most definitely enjoying what blooms. The roses endured a lot last year. They aren't quite content. My hostas (the great variety I have) are abundant and exuberant this year. And the phlox and the butterfly bushes are going quite crazy, something that has made my yard smell quite divine (especially since the honeysuckle quit blooming). It's rather restful and enjoyable.
My irises bloomed this year and I didn't even really notice. Damn the garden, full speed ahead for the wedding. They'll be around again next year, I just feel guilty.
I do, very much, enjoy my garden. It's been around since I came back to the United States in 2002. It's been one of the few constants in my life. My dear husband could not care any less about the garden. The only thing he cares about is that it makes me happy.
It, like sports, and reading, are the 'things' that make me happy. There... I've shared.
I'm sure that someone might be curious. Someone, anyone, the air out there, someone might be curious. So, I thought I would tell. If you aren't curious, there will be a blog entry after this and there are a few before this.
Yes, I love many things besides sports. I'm a gardening nut. This year, due to financial issues completely unforeseen, I don't have much to spend on the yard, so the new and exciting, the stuff I would love to buy, I definitely can't. I quibbled just the other day about buying two books I was looking forward to reading.
I don't normally quibble about such things. So, gardening this year is simply weeding, cutting and plant tending. And most definitely enjoying what blooms. The roses endured a lot last year. They aren't quite content. My hostas (the great variety I have) are abundant and exuberant this year. And the phlox and the butterfly bushes are going quite crazy, something that has made my yard smell quite divine (especially since the honeysuckle quit blooming). It's rather restful and enjoyable.
My irises bloomed this year and I didn't even really notice. Damn the garden, full speed ahead for the wedding. They'll be around again next year, I just feel guilty.
I do, very much, enjoy my garden. It's been around since I came back to the United States in 2002. It's been one of the few constants in my life. My dear husband could not care any less about the garden. The only thing he cares about is that it makes me happy.
It, like sports, and reading, are the 'things' that make me happy. There... I've shared.
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