Game Time: A Time to Work

Let me start out today by simply saying that I HATE TWITTER. I believe Twitter does nothing but feed the ego maniacal, narcissistic individuals who use it, and that it is an utterly useless way to spend one's time. That being said, I am glad to know the NFL has fined Bengals' wide receiver, Chad Ochocinco, $25,000 for Tweeting during Cincinnati's preseason game against the Philadelphia Eagles.

The NFL rules on the matter very clearly state that players are allowed to post on social networking sites up to 90 minutes before kickoff, and cannot resume posting until they have fulfilled all postgame media commitments. Chad posted a Tweet at 6:50 p.m. and another at 9:53 p.m. These times would have no significance but for the fact that the game kicked off at 8:07 p.m. And if my public school math skills are correct, the first Tweet is in direct violation of the 90-minute rule, and the second Tweet occurred during the game, which is simply unethical.

Tweeting during a game is wrong in so many ways, but the pregame Tweet may be even worse. Chad's time could have been spent with the coaching staff, or his fellow receivers, but instead he was hiding in his locker, Blackberry in hand. And just think of the message he is sending to his teammates, by Tweeting when they are on the field trying to win a football game. I know it's just a preseason game, but there are guys on the field who are still fighting for roster spots, so maybe a team veteran like Chad should be paying attention. Ocho may just be able to give these young players some tips or advice if he weren't so concerned with his followers knowing that he doesn't appreciate being hit so hard in a preseason game.

Personally, I don't hate Chad Ochocinco. In fact, I happen to think he is a great football player, and an even better entertainer; but he deserved to be fined $25,000. The NFL needed to set a precedent for cases such as this, in order to ensure it will never happen again. And it may seem a bit melodramatic to make Twitter out to be some evil entity, but one can only imagine how out of hand it could get if left unchecked. Would it really make the viewing experience better if in the fourth quarter of a Vikings game, Brett Favre's followers could be privy to insight such as “Dang, missed Percy on the slant. Could have won the game. Buy some Wranglers.” So what Chad has to realize is that when he puts on that orange and black jersey, he's at work, and you don't need to be Tweeting at work; especially when a 245-pound linebacker is going to try to take your head off in an hour-and-a-half.

Stars and Stripes.

With all the hoopla surrounding the four snaps Brett Favre took in his return to the Vikings, Lou Piniella's retirement, and baseball's division races, it appears people don't realize there is a USA basketball team playing overseas, and representing our country quite solidly. Now, I know there are those out there that will scoff at the mere mention of a USA hoops team without names like Bryant, Kidd, Wade, LeBron, and Carmelo, but I would not discount this team too quickly. I concur that without the “sexy” aforementioned names, this current assortment of ballers may not be worthy of national pandemonium, but they are more than an acceptable group.

With no members of the “Redeem Team” able to play on the World Championship roster, fans of international basketball get to see a new gathering of young, hungry, NBA players, who may not be household names at this point in their careers. This year we say “goodbye” to LeBron James, and “hello” to Kevin Durant, last season's scoring champion. Team USA loses Carmelo and D-Wade, but gains freak athletes in Andre Iguodala, Rudy Gay, and Derrick Rose. The void of veteran leadership left by Jason Kidd and Kobe Bryant is filled by two-time champ, Lamar Odom, and 2004 NBA Finals MVP, Chauncey Billups. When the two rosters are compared, it seems the only aspect 2010 USA Basketball may be lacking is jersey sales.

The 2010 roster may even have one advantage over the 2008 “Redeem Team”: outside shooting. The trio of Danny Granger, Eric Gordon, and Stephen Curry provide consistent outside threats for the drive-and-dish play of Rose and Russel Westbrook. This current roster will also benefit from Billups' ability to knock down outside shots, which should be a benefit when opposing teams play zone.

The one issue for this team will most likely be interior play. The only true center on the Team USA roster is Tyson Chandler, who has proven to be less than reliable, in terms of health, over the past two seasons. It is ironic, however, that Chandler's job will be made a great deal easier by injuries to key bigs on other teams. Chandler should be able to sleep better at night knowing he won't have to contend with China's Yao Ming or Australia's Andrew Bogut. Add the fact that the Spanish national team will only have one Gasol brother, and it suddenly seems as though all Tyson Chandler will have to do is rebound, block a few shots, and maybe throw down an alley-oop or two for the USA to be contenders.

Even though some of these players may not even get recognized in the cities they play in, they still deserve to be appreciated for their efforts. Everybody on this roster could have said “it's not like we're playing in the Olympics,” and just stayed home this summer. But instead they dedicated themselves to continuing the momentum from the “Redeem Team,” in order to make the USA a powerhouse in international basketball again. And I know most of these players may just be auditioning so Mike Krzyzewski will consider them for the next Olympic team, but I see that as a positive. Players like Durant, Rose, Iguodala, and Westbrook are not only the future of the NBA, but are also the building blocks for years of international basketball, and if they don't want to wait for spots on the Olympic team to open up, then more power to them for trying to take a spot. Personally, I am excited to see how these "kids" will stack up against the best in the world. I don't expect it to be an easy road by any means, but I firmly believe that by the end of the World Championships, we'll be proud of them.

The Diamond Marathon

One common complaint in the sports world is the fact that baseball games just don't seem to end...ever. And when the players aren't taking an exorbitant amount of time to complete their bevy of rituals, there are certain aspects of the game that also lead to even further delays. Now, I can honestly say I do enjoy watching baseball games, but there are still times when I will watch the result of a pitch, then flip to another channel because I know it will be another two minutes before the pitcher will be ready to deliver again. And heaven forbid there be a mound visit anywhere in that sequence, because I'll turn away for so long, I may just forget I was watching a game at all. So in this particular article I will explore some common suggestions for improving baseball, and determine if they are worthy of consideration.

1. There is no need for a player to run the bases after hitting a home run.

I don't tend to agree in this instance, mostly because I don't believe this change would cut down on game time much. Batters are usually at first, and possibly rounding the base, when the ball lands, so they would already be 90 feet away from home anyway. In that case, they may as well just keep going. I also foresee an increase in boneheaded plays if this rule were enacted, as we all know that many players who think they have hit a home run, would simply stand at home plate, only to have the ball bounce off the wall and turn their would be double into the longest single in baseball history.

2. Once a batter enters the box, he must stay there.

This seems to me like a good idea, because most batters tend to take a strike, step out of the box, adjust their helmet, grab their crotch, re-strap the Velcro on their batting gloves, eat a sandwich, update their Twitter profile, then step back in for the next pitch. No more! Unless the momentum of a player swinging takes him out of the batter's box, then he needs to stay in there until the at-bat is over, or he will be assessed a strike. This rule would definitely make Nomar Garciaparra glad he is retired.

3. Allow the use of designated hitters for both leagues.

I can already hear the moans and groans of baseball purists, but I really do agree with this particular suggestion. With the exception of the Reds' Mike Leake, nobody wants to see a pitcher hit. I would liken witnessing some of these hurlers in the box to watching a thirteen- year-old take on Tyson in his prime: it's just not fair, and is quite honestly a bit sad and tragic. I understand it's not really the pitcher's fault, because they get paid to pitch. So let's leave hitting to the guys who are paid to do it. It's not like you see NFL kickers playing nose tackle.

4. Use instant replay on the base paths.

I am for this suggestion, not because I believe baseball umpires are incompetent, but more because officiating at the bases is such a difficult task. Umpires must be aware of ball, runner, base, and fielder all at the same time, and make immediate decisions on plays that occur in fractions of seconds, with less than optimal viewing angles. I'm sure umpires would feel more relaxed, and would ultimately make better calls, if they knew they didn't have to be perfect on every play. I think Jim Joyce would agree (Editor's note: Stop piling on Jim Joyce).

5. Limit the number of visits to the mound.

Yes, yes, yes, and yes. As aforementioned, I am mot the biggest fan of mound visits. They take far too long, too many players get involved, and I don't really believe they are all that necessary. I concede that there are times when defensive alignments need to be set, but isn't that what all those goofy hand signals are for? And yes, there are certain situations when a catcher may need to explain how to pitch to a certain hitter, but that's also why teams pay scouts for their advanced reports. Personally, I enjoy watching Yadier Molina play the position, not only for his defensive prowess, but also how he handles the Cardinal's pitching staff. If the pitcher makes a good pitch, point at him and nod your head. If he makes a bad pitch, rifle the ball back at him and wake his butt up. Every catcher should learn Molina's techniques so we can cut down on all these mound visits. My suggestion: one visit for every three innings, and that includes pitching coach visits, unless the skipper goes out to give a pitcher the ol' yank.

6. Use a pitch clock, similar to the shot clock in basketball.

Surprisingly, I am not very supportive of this suggestion. While some pitchers do take eons to deliver a pitch (*cough*...Dice-K...*cough*) I believe the pace of an at-bat is set by the hitter, who has the option of stepping out of the box, calling for time, and generally, just plain stalling. If the need for the pitcher to wait for the hitter is eliminated, then they will be ready to pitch sooner, thus the pace of the games will naturally quicken.

So there's my master plan for “fixing” baseball. The truth is, I honestly think most sports fans do enjoy watching baseball. We just don't like watching it for four-and-a-half hours.

Held Hostage

If there is one story I cannot stand to hear about for one more minute, it is the three years of coverage on Brett Favre's playing status. Being a lifelong Packers fan, I understand the charisma that Favre possesses, and the infatuation fans can have with him. But a line has to be drawn for what is relevant, and what is purely unnecessary. To be frank, I don't really care to watch ten minutes of shirtless high schoolers catching passes from Number 4. I also don't really need to know if three of his buddies from the Vikings flew down to Mississippi to grovel at the feet of their quarterback, and beg him to return for next season; which brings me to my next point.

I know Ryan Longwell, Steve Hutchinson, and Jared Allen may just be taking a trip down to check on the Ol' Gunslinger's healing process, but I doubt they would take a flight from Minnesota to Mississippi for information they could have attained via text message. To me, all signs point to the Viking trio arriving in Hattiesburg and promptly showing up at Favre's house with gifts in hand, and tails tucked firmly between their legs. Now, I completely disagree with how the Vikings' front office has given Favre free reign over their franchise, but wasn't it just two weeks ago that Jared Allen was telling reporters that the Vikings would go on with or without Favre? That statement would have had a bit more impact if your stance lasted more than a month, Jared.

Jared Allen pales in comparison to head coach Brad Childress, though, because Allen, Hutchinson, and Longwell are skipping practice to visit Favre, which would most likely garner a fine from any other coach. But don't expect the trio to even receive a slap on the wrist, because Childress has been the driving force behind Favre's sychophantic behavior since Brett stepped foot in Minnesota. This is the head coach, who should be concentrating on the players who cared enough to show up for camp, instead of traveling 1,100 miles away from his team to go armadillo hunting with a forty-year-old man, who may not even be his signal-caller this upcoming season. Favre has become the NFL's version of LeBron James...or maybe the other way around. The point is that Favre retires and unretires, works out with high school players, and doesn't show up for training camp because he knows he can get away with it. If a six-year-old stays up until midnight, and his parents don't tell him/her they can't do that, then guess what? That kid is going to continue staying up until midnight.

So, wake up, Vikings. If you don't want Brett Favre to put you through all the waiting, guessing, and drama, then don't let him.

Breaking Tradition

I would like to consider myself to be an "old school" sports fan. I love the old, historic venues, like Lambeau field and Joe Louis Arena, as much as the next guy, but there are some traditions that just need to be abolished. One of the more obvious cases for the evolution of rules and tradition is professional golf, and more specifically, the travesty that occurred with Dustin Johnson.

For those of you who missed the event, Johnson was assessed a two-stroke penalty on the 18th hole, which prevented him from competing in the playoff for the PGA championship. What dastardly act could have possibly been worthy of such a steep penalty on the last hole of an event? Before taking his second shot, Johnson indented the bunker his ball had landed in, with the head of his club. That's it. That move cost Johnson two strokes and a shot at a major. He may as well have cold-clocked another golfer, because maybe that would actually be an act deserving a two-stroke penalty.

What may have been even more ridiculous than the actual penalty, was the state of the "bunker" that Johnson's ball landed in. The spot in question looked more like Hulk Hogan's bald spot than a PGA-groomed bunker. Having read the rules on bunkers from the PGA rulebook, I do concede that the spot was "technically" a bunker, but in all actuality, it was a worn down spot of dirt with fifteen spectators trampling all over it. Now, if that spot were in fact a bunker, shouldn't somebody get those people out of there? It's not as if you see girls in bikinis sunbathing in the sand traps at Augusta. Not only did the PGA drop the ball on course security, but they also failed in how they dealt with Johnson. One would think that when a man is lining up for a shot that could help him win a major championship, a PGA official may just want to go over to him and say "Hey, Dustin, I know there were just twenty people doing keg-stands next to your ball, but that is technically a bunker, so watch where you tap your club." Not only would such a gesture be common courtesy, it would also be the right thing to do. While watching football I constantly hear referees yelling at offensive linemen to stop holding, before they throw a flag. The same can be said for officiating physical post play in the NBA, and questionable low blows in boxing and/or MMA. The point is that these players are given warnings, and a chance to correct their mistakes before being penalized. Dustin Johnson was never given that chance.

I understand that PGA officials were simply following the letter of the law, but I believe they should have considered intent. Floyd Landis was stripped of his Tour de France victory because the steroids he used gave him an unfair advantage over his fellow cyclists. Sammy Sosa was suspended because the corked bat he used in a game gave him the ability to hit a ball farther than players with regulation bats. Hockey players with too much curve on the blades of their sticks are assessed penalties, and could have goals disallowed, because the added angle gives them far greater puck control over their rule-abiding counterparts.

So let me just ask this question: What advantage did Dustin Johnson get from placing his clubhead on a patch of dirt?

Dream Teamer

Yesterday marked one of the proudest moments I have had as a fan of professional sports. My all-time favorite basketball player - and maybe athlete in general - Scottie Pippen, was inducted into the Hall of Fame. I know for every fan of Pippen there are just as many detractors, who would say he would have been nothing without Jordan. This may very well be true, but the fact still remains that Jordan didn't have much success without Pippen either. Scottie's poster may not have been on the walls of every young boy in America, but he was the type of player a young man like myself could relate to. Scottie seemed human, when Jordan appeared to be superhuman. Scottie was complimentary, while Jordan was extraordinary. But what drew me to Pippen was his will to win and the glimpses of a “swagger” that would appear when he was posterizing opponents before the word “posterizing” even existed.


Even though Pippen was seen as the supporting player behind arguably the best in the history of the game, it was clear to me that he was perhaps the more important. He became one of the the most underrated defensive players in NBA history, was always prepared to take a game over in case MJ was double-teamed, and did all the little things that superstars of this era just don't do. Granted, the game has evolved since the Bulls' title reigns, but hustle never goes out of style. I believe the six rings currently adorning Scottie's trophy case are a testament to that statement.

So, congratulations to you, Scottie Pippen. Your playing career was an inspiration for my childhood aspirations, on and off the court. You may not ever receive the recognition you deserve, but the faded, black and red, number thirty-three jersey hanging in my closet is just a small example of how much you are appreciated.

The fight for the NL Central...no, literally.

In the tightly contested race for the NL Central, it seems as though the crushing blow has been struck. The brawl in Cincinnati appeared to be a young, confident team standing up to the perennial favorites of the division, but I tend to see it in a different manner. To me, picking a fight with the team that had handled you mightily the night before was nothing more than an act of desperation from a team that has ultimately met a superior opponent.

Now, I do not condone the actions of the Cardinals in retaliating during the skirmish, especially Yadier Molina. I hold Molina in high regards as one of the best human beings in baseball, and to see him stoop to the level of the loud-mouthed Brandon Phillips was a bit disappointing, even though I can understand how it would be difficult to hold one's composure in the face of such a character. It was, however, refreshing to see Phillips back up all that trash talking with colossal strikeouts and ferocious ground outs to second.


One of the more surprising aspects of the entire situation (besides Johnny Cueto trying to spike anybody within a five-foot radius) was Scott Rolen's actions towards Chris Carpenter. I could not completely decipher if Rolen was attempting to harm Carpenter, but the look on his face sure did not seem like the visage of a man trying to diffuse a situation. I understand that Rolen is now a Red, and subsequently on the other side of this fierce rivalry, but he is attacking guys he won a ring with. We never saw Manny charge across the field at Fenway with the Dodgers and take a shot at Josh Beckett, so I really don't understand where Rolen's animosity is coming from. Perhaps Rolen simply got caught up in the moment, and only saw an opposing jersey instead of the man wearing it, but I don't believe there is any excuse for hostility towards a man who is a key reason for the jewelry in your trophy case.

While the actions of some Reds players may have been somewhat confusing, the motive of the instigater is quite simple. I honestly believe that Brandon Phillips was attempting to get some source of satisfaction out of the series, and because the team didn't really seem like they wanted to show up, he decided to take other actions; a type of “if you can't beat 'em, then beat 'em up” mentality. But the fight proved absolutely nothing, and really backfired on Phillips, as the Cardinals swept the series easily, and one of Cincinnati's best pitchers was the only player to get suspended in the tussle. While some believe the fight may galvanize the Reds to make a push to regain the division lead, it seems clear to me that if you can't beat them on the field, and you can't beat them up on the field, then there seems to be little you can do to knock the Cardinals off their perch, firmly atop the NL Central.

600*

While it may be time to celebrate another milestone in baseball, the mood is not that of a Hank Aaron, or a Cal Ripken. The very fact that Alex Rodriguez admitted to using performance enhancing drugs should not diminish the fact that he has completed a grand accomplishment, but he should also take his fair share of criticism. Most "experts" and sports fans would say that hitting a baseball is quite possibly the hardest task in sports, which is why those who are the best at it get the fattest paychecks. The fact that A-Rod was a juicer does not change the fact that he has an eye for the baseball, and the natural ability to make consistent contact. That being said, I still don't believe that Rodriguez's accomplishment should be registered without some type of indication of his behavior (an asterisk perhaps?), because the simple truth is that he cheated. Anybody can say what they want about Barry Bonds, but he has never actually tested positive for PED's during his playing career. Now, his upcoming perjury trial may change his status indefinitely, but the fact still remains that critics don't have any solid proof on Bonds...yet.

Rodriguez is a completely different story altogether because everyone knows definitively that he cheated and subsequently lied about it; only coming clean when he was made aware of a positive test. While steroids do not give a person the ability to hit like Pete Rose, they do make you somewhat stronger, and more importantly, they decrease the time it takes to recover from injury. I don't know if I would feel so strongly on this issue if steroids only made you a bit stronger, because you still have to possess the natural ability to hit a ninety-eight mile-an-hour fastball in order to be successful. What bothers me so severely is that while A-Rod was using, he recovered more quickly than the players who were playing clean, which is definitely an unfair advantage. A one hundred and sixty-two game schedule is a lot more easy to endure if your muscles aren't wracked with pain every day (I would also bet it makes it a lot easier to hit home runs). So if A-Rod eventually gets to eight hundred-which is looking less and less plausible-there should be some indication in the record books to verify that what he did was wrong; not only for the fans of major league baseball, but also to all the clean, honest baseball players, who would rather condition their bodies to stand the rigors of the MLB season than stick a needle in themselves. If Rodriguez can stay healthy and hit two hundred more homers, he should be congratulated, but in no way should he be celebrated.

10 million people can't be wrong

There have been many an analyst talking about the over sized ego of one LeBron James, and his sycophantic special to announce where he would be playing next season. We all know how that ended, which is a different topic for a different post. What caught my attention almost more than LeBron's actual decision was the utter contempt that analysts, media, and society in general had with the manner in which he made the decision. Having watched the entire special, I can honestly say that it was awkward, unorganized, and painfully drawn out, but the key factor is that I did watch, and so did millions of other people around the world. Whether you hated, loved, or really had no strong opinion of LeBron James, you still watched his one hour special. That fact alone gives LeBron cause to hold the special in the first place, because he can get away with it. Now, I am in no way making an attempt to defend LeBron. I do, however, believe it is time for analysts, fans, and the general populace to take a long, hard look in the mirror.

LeBron's ego maniacal behavior is most likely the result of being showered with national praise and admiration since he was a junior in high school. From the day he began to garner any attention LeBron was reminded on a daily basis that he was the greatest basketball player on the face of the earth. I am not trying to devalue his talent, because it is substantial, but one can only be anointed as the second coming of MJ for so long before they begin to believe their own hype. Getting drafted to his home state's team did nothing to squelch the situation, either. From the second LeBron arrived in Cleveland he was handled with FIFA goalkeeper gloves, as fear spread throughout the masses of Ohio that they would not be able to keep their favorite son. The seven years in Cleveland caused LeBron's ego to grow so rapidly, that the building-sized poster downtown was actually a pretty accurate to-scale model of it (also, if somebody were to put a building-sized poster of you in one of the most visible locations in town, wouldn't you think you were kind of special?). For those seven years all LeBron heard was how much of an icon and superstar he was, which was true. There was but one problem with Cleveland fans' logic, though: the simple fact that superstars and icons don't play in Cleveland. LeBron's transformation to a full-blown egomaniac had been completed; he was too big for Cleveland, too big for Ohio, too big for the Midwest. Perhaps Cleveland could have kept LeBron if they had, oh I don't know, told him "no" on occasion. Perhaps they could have kept him if national media wasn't doing an injury update every ten minutes after that hideous left-handed free throw. And maybe, just maybe, they could have kept him if 10 million people decided they had something better to do than watch a one hour special for a ten second announcement. The fact is that LeBron is the monster, and we are Doctor Frankenstein. We created him, and now we must suffer the consequences.