BaseBrawl Part I

Baseball fans, and really fans of any sport, like a good brawl. Team vs. team, everyone squaring off on the field of play and winging punches. Baseball brawls are different from most of the other sports fights. The batter usually gets plunked by a pitch and he makes the quick decision to charge the mound. It takes less than five seconds for the better part of both teams to arrive at the mound, players from both teams come charging from the bullpens about 100 yards away, and all hell is breaking loose. It looks scary just watching it on television because the players do not know who is coming from your blind side or from behind you and cheap shots abound.

Such was the case yesterday when Bryce Harper of the Washington Nationals was hit in the right hip by a 97 MPH fastball thrown by the San Francisco Giants Hunter Strickland. Harper charged the mound and it was a rare case where punches were actually landed by both Harper and Strickland before the mound pileup ensued. When all of the other players arrive is when it gets dangerous as evidenced by Giants pitcher Jeff Samardzjia slamming his shoulder into Giants outfielder Michael Morse's jaw trying to get to Harper. Morse ended up on the seven day concussion disabled list as a result.

Order was restored on the field, suspensions were handed down by the league after the game, and the combatants were saying the right things after the game. The players say the event is over, the problems are solved, but it was also an event that dates back about three years. Harper hit two homeruns off of Strickland in a game about three years ago and this was evidently a little bit of payback because of Harper's perceived unprofessional actions after those homeruns. Baseball players have long memories.

The Kid

There are certain players that I have just enjoyed watching play over the course of their career and Ken Griffey, Jr., also known as "the Kid", was one of those players. I remember when his Upper Deck rookie card came out. I had to have this card. All I got was a box full of commons but no Ken Griffey, Jr., card. My soon-to-be-wife even bought me an entire box of Upper Deck baseball cards and no Griffey, Jr. My little brother goes out and buys two packs and gets a Ken Griffey, Jr., rookie card. I was pissed. My little brother did not even collect baseball cards. 27 years after the fact, I have a confession to make. I stole that card from my brother. He always thought Mom threw it out and I never corrected him. The card still sits in its protective plastic case firmly in my possession.

I watched Griffey, Jr., evolve from a player with unlimited potential playing for the Seattle Mariners into a who realized every bit of his potential. He put the Seattle Mariners on the map. His prolific homeruns, his highlight reel defense, and who can ever forget his race to home plate against the New York Yankees that knocked the Yankees out of the playoffs that season. He played with several other teams in his career but I will always remember his Seattle Mariners years.

When the steroid scandal started rocking professional baseball towards the end of Griffey, Jr.'s, career his name was never mentioned. He was often injured in the latter part of his career and I would love to have seen what his career numbers would have been if the injuries would not have started to mount. I saw part of his Hall of Fame induction speech today and putting the hat on backwards was a classic touch to a Hall of Fame career.

The Punch- Baseball Style

With deference to "the Punch", the shot delivered by Los Angeles Lakers forward Kermit Washington to the face of Houston Rockets forward Rudy Tomjanovich during an NBA game on December 9, 1977, major league baseball had its own version of the punch during a game between the Toronto Blue Jays and Texas Rangers. Texas Ranger shortstop Rougned Odor delivered a straight right to the cheek of Toronto Blue Jay outfielder Jose Bautista after a hard slide by Bautista trying to take out Odor who was trying to turn the double play. Bautista was on first base because he had been hit by a 98 MPH fastball thrown by Rangers pitcher Matt Bush who was appearing in his second major league game. The subplots to this confrontation are fascinating.

First of all, not many punches land during baseball fights. Odor landed a punch that any professional boxer or MMA fighter would be proud of. I believe the adage "protect yourself at all times" applies here. Bautista left himself wide open for that shot and Odor took it. This baseball feud has carried over from last season because of Jose Bautista's "bat flip" after a homerun.

This was the last time the Blue Jays and Rangers were going to face each other this season (unless they meet in the playoffs) and it was more than likely Bautista's last at bat against the Rangers. A perfect time to send a message. 30 year old flamethrower, Rangers rookie and former overall number one draft pick Matt Bush, appearing in his second major league game. A perfect way to endear yourself to your major league teammates. He plunks Bautista in the ribs. A beaning that will stay with you for a few days.

Bautista seeks to meet out his own payback with a hard slide. A confrontation was inevitable. Accusations were thrown out by both teams. Suspensions will be handed out by major league baseball. Is "the feud" over? It is, at least for this season. Baseball players have long memories.

The Battle of the Buttheads

According to an article I read on ESPN.com, Coach John Calipari of Kentucky took a shot at Coach K from Duke and because of how Coach K is selling recruits on the advantages of attending Duke and playing for Coach K. One of the top 2017 recruits, Hamidou Diallo, was interviewed by the Louisville Courier-Journal and was asked about the recruiting differences between Kentucky and Duke. He replied that Kentucky was all about preparing you for the NBA whereas Duke offered to set the recruit up for life. Diallo did not say how he was supposed to be set for life but my guess is that involved actually going to a class or two and possibly getting a degree.

First of all, I do not think any high school recruit should be interviewed by anyone in the news media because now Diallo is at the center of a media firestorm that he inadvertently created. I do, however, have to agree with Coach K on this one as he at least alluded to the fact that he will be in college and may accidentally get an education. At Kentucky, the top ranked recruits usually don't have to worry about that as they will barely be there long enough to learn where their classes are and who wants to go to class when you are just there to as a prep for the next level.

The College Basketball Gods

The college basketball gods smiled on me yesterday when Indiana beat Kentucky. The North Carolina Tarheels and the Kentucky Wildcats were headed for a showdown that the college basketball world had already penciled in and maybe Kentucky was caught looking ahead to that game. That was going to be a classic "good vs. evil" matchup and the Kentucky faithful were already looking forward to that game. Coach John Calipari of Kentucky had been very vocal about how he thought Kentucky deserved a higher seed than a #4. North Carolina held up their end of the bracket by beating Florida Gulf Coast and a good Providence team.

I have never been a fan of Calipari's. He is a good coach and has won everywhere he has been but he always operates in the gray area of the rules in recruiting. Massachusetts and Memphis got busted for recruiting violations as soon as he left those schools. Kentucky's freshman class is probably already filling out the paperwork so they can turn pro. That is the state of college basketball today. Kentucky is just at the head of the class as they regularly have up to six of their freshman turn pro after their freshman year. Kentucky has become the face of the "one and done" college player.

Cam Newton Speaks

Cam Newton finally gave an explanation as to why he did not dive for that fumble in the fourth quarter with his team only down by six points with a little over four minutes to go in the Super Bowl. He said his "leg was contorted in such a way" but he never really finished that thought. The replay only shows his leg being contorted when he was headed the opposite way of the fumble.

Newton always gave the reasoning of when a quarterback throws an interception but that is a completely different scenario. When a quarterback throws an interception, defensive lineman see that as an opportunity to legally "block" the quarterback and that usually means laying a cheap shot on the quarterback and drilling him through the ground. The only time Newton made an effort to get the football was when it deflected back by him and he really only gave a half ass effort then.

Just like the Seattle Seahawks and their fans have had to relive the New England Patriots interception at the goal line from last season, Carolina Panthers fans will be reliving this fumble and non-recovery for quite a while. Cam Newton did not see the fumble as a pivotal play in the game. Newton also penned an open letter to Panthers fans promising to continue to "win his way." I wonder if that way is over the top showboating when he wins, taking his football and going home when he loses, and making excuses when the situation demands it.

Kobe Bryant's Farewell Tour

Kobe Bryant's farewell tour around the NBA is starting to wind down and I will be one of the few people on the planet that believes the end cannot get here fast enough. Kobe Bryant came into the NBA out of high school in Philadelphia and was drafted in the first round, 13th overall, by the Charlotte Hornets. He refused to play for the Hornets and demanded to be traded to one of three NBA teams. A trade to the Los Angeles Lakers was worked out and a star was born. There is no denying Kobe's talent and his place in NBA history.

When he announced that this would be his final NBA season an amazing transformation occurred. Bryant suddenly has the congeniality of a game show host, granting interviews and clowning around in front of the cameras. His last appearance in Charlotte really caught my attention. These were the same fans he refused to play in front of to start his career but the same fans that he did not want to miss seeing him play his last time in Charlotte. In a tribute fitting for his final season, Michael Jordan recorded a message that was played for Kobe. Kobe went out and shot 5 for 20 from the field, including 3 for 12 from the three-point line.

The Los Angeles Lakers have sacrificed this season in order for Kobe Bryant to say his good bye's and to receive all of the accolades. He has played his entire career with the Los Angeles Lakers and that is a rarity these days in any sport. The Lakers are not a good team this season and Bryant is shooting a career low .355% from the field. He has already played more games this season that he has in the previous two seasons combined. When he scored 38 points the other night that was the lead story on the majority of the sports highlights shows. I will be glad when the spotlight fades.

The Cowboys Have More Problems

The Dallas Cowboys have more problems than just Tony Romo being injured. The Cowboys have a team full of bad attitudes and selfish players. Josh Norman had Dez Bryant off his game from the first play. They were talking to each other before the first snap and when Romo through his first interception to Panthers defensive back Kurt Coleman that was returned for a touchdown, Dez Bryant stood face mask-to-face mask with Josh Norman jawing with him rather than try to chase the ball down. The announcers even caught that one. What they did not mention was the consummate Dallas Cowboys professional, tight end Jason Witten, loafing down the field after the ball and never really becoming involved in the play. He did not even attempt to tackle Coleman as he ran right by him.

The bad attitude starts with Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. When the Cowboys released backup quarterback Brandon Weeden a few weeks ago, Jones took a few parting shots at Weeden and his inability to win games. The coaching staff developed an offensive game plan specific to Weeden skill set and it failed to produce results. I thought it was unprofessional of Jones for him to make comments like that. Who is Jones going to blame now? His "yes" man of a head coach Jason Garrett? The Doctors and training staff for not getting Romo more prepared? Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys reminds me of George Steinbrenner and the New York Yankees of the 1970's. The Yankees were extremely talented and often won in spite of themselves but the Cowboys can't even get it together well enough to do that.

Romo Is Not The Answer

As it turns out, Tony Romo is not the answer to the question who will be the quarterback that beats the Carolina Panthers? It seems that most Dallas fans have forgotten that Romo is the quarterback that could only guide the Cowboys to consecutive 8-8 records, has not gotten the Cowboys deep into the playoffs, if even past the first round, and until he went 12-4 last year, it seemed like the Cowboys were always looking for a replacement for Romo.

Romo was 3-0 as a starter this season and most Cowboys fans were basing the rest of their season on Romo going undefeated. He threw three interceptions, two were returned for touchdowns, and the Cowboys were losing 33-6 when Romo got sacked by Thomas Davis Sr. and from the looks of things of things, he broke his clavicle again. I hate to see any player get hurt and Romo is a gamer and a competitor but I believe he came a couple of weeks too soon.

Will Romo Be Enough?

Will quarterback Tony Romo be enough to upset the Carolina Panthers today in Dallas? I look for Dallas to utilize the short passing game to try to neutralize Carolina's pass rush because Romo cannot afford to take any big hits. I also look for Josh Norman to shadow Dez Bryant to try to neutralize his impact on the game. The big "X" factor in the game is going to be Greg Hardy of the Dallas Cowboys. Will Hardy be able to pull his head out of his ass long enough to play the game of his life or will he play like his head is in a London fog? Cam Newton has not been under pressure much this season and I really can't wait to see the chess match between Ron Rivera and Jerry Jones.... I mean Jason Garrett

Carolina Panthers 10-0 Start In Perspective

The Carolina Panthers are 10-0 and I don't care what your schedule looks like in the NFL, that is a monumental achievement. However to keep their undefeated start in perspective, the Carolina Panthers have only beaten one team with a winning record in their 10-0 start and that was the Green Bay Packers. Every other team they have beaten is at .500 or below.

The Panthers did beat a Seattle Seahawks team in Seattle in come-from-behind fashion that was probably their signature win on the season. The Panthers only play one team, the Atlanta Falcons who are currently at 6-4, in their last six games that has a winning record. The Panthers stand an excellent chance of going 16-0. The biggest obstacles will be the game in Dallas on Thanksgiving Day, and the game in Atlanta.

In spite of all of his antics, Cam Newton is playing the best football of his career right now. The defense is playing solid football and their best defensive lineman, Charles Johnson, comes back this weekend. General Manager Dave Gettelman has made all of the right moves (the trade for Jared Allen was huge), Josh Norman may be playing the best cornerback in the NFL, and he has made all of the pieces fit together beautifully.

Duke Vs. Kentucky

There was an article on ESPN.com the other day that made reference to the developing recruiting wars between Duke and Kentucky for the nation's top high school talent. Kentucky has won the recruiting wars for several years, consistently signing the #1 recruiting class. Coach K from Duke seems to have settled on the belief that the only way he can compete with Kentucky on the recruiting wars is to recruit many of these same "one and done" players that Kentucky does. Not only is college basketball big business but promoting high school basketball players is big business as well.

I have never had much respect for Coach K or John Calipari at Kentucky anyway because they seem more worried about pushing their own brand or promoting their own image. They are both great "X's and O's" coaches but all either one of them has to do most of the time is roll the ball out onto the court and tell them to play like on the blacktop back home.

The institution of college basketball has taken the student out of the student-athlete. The best players only go to college for one year because that is all they are required to go. Most of the major programs has at least one player leave early to go pro and it has been that way for 30 years. Kentucky has entire freshman classes, five or six deep, go pro after one year. I would love to take a peak at their class schedule, their SAT scores, or just about anything academic related. College football players have to be on campus for at least three seasons as do college baseball players.

Cam Newton

Cam Newton is probably playing the best football of his young career right now and he has led the Panthers to an undefeated record to this point. He is managing the game better than he ever has before, he is staying in the pocket longer, and he is going through his progressions and hitting the open receiver. Unfortunately, his great play has been overshadowed by his antics on the field. He makes a big production every time he makes a first down and even announcer Joe Buck made the comment that he went into his celebration "after gaining five yards" and Newton's celebration was very premature as he did not even have the first down. He went through the exact same routine when he made the first down on the next play. He keeps adding moves to his touchdown celebrations, and if I was on the other team, it would be worth 15 yards to go clock him one.

I can remember back in training camp when Newton and cornerback Josh Norman got into it after Norman intercepted a Newton pass during a drill and Newton was not happy that Norman told him about it all the way down the field. I don't know if Newton thinks he is more entertainer now than he is football player because the fans eat it up or what but he has not accomplished anything until he gets to wear a Super Bowl ring.

Not A Shocker

Ronda Rousey getting knocked out by Holly Holm in UFC 193 really did not come as that big of a shock to me. I'll be the first to admit that Rousey looked about as unbeatable as a fighter can look. In that business, especially the MMA, all it takes is one slip up, one lucky punch, the perfect punch, or whatever and you are looking up at the ceiling wondering "What just happened?" You can just about count the fighters on one hand in boxing, the MMA, or whatever that have never lost a fight and if the truth be told they probably should have lost at least one but got the decision thank to some very lenient score keeping.

The MMA is the hottest game in town right now as long as Dana White does not run it into the ground. Boxing has ceased to be relevant (I see better fights watching the NHL), and there really is no governing body in the MMA to set up a rankings system to see who battles who. A loss like Rousey's (as long as it is legit)is good for the sport and sets up a rematch as well.

"Getting It Right"

The end of the Miami-Duke game will be talked about for years if not for the rest of my lifetime. Duke had scored with just a few seconds left to take a 27-24 lead. Duked squibbed kicked the ball to Miami on the ensuing kickoff and what happened next would have made backyard football proud. Miami used an eight lateral sequence to finally get the ball to the end zone and give them a 30-27 almost impossible victory. Every scoring play is reviewed and there was a flag down. The flag was for an illegal block in the back (which it appeared there may have been several) and would have given Miami one untimed down. After a nine minute review, the flag was picked up because the official determined that the "block was from the side" and all of the laterals were deemed legal, the touchdown stood, and Miami got a 30-27 win.

My initial reaction was that I did not know a block in the back was reviewable especially since they were reviewing the play to see if one of the runner's knees were down. One of them did appear to be but the ruling on the field was that his knee was not down and there had to be enough clear evidence that his knee did touch the ground.

The ACC suspended the on field officiating crew and the replay officials missing multiple violations during the play but the ACC would not overturn the outcome of the game and give the win to Duke. I heard Kenny Mayne on a segment on ESPN called "1 Big Thing" rant on about the ACC wanting to "get it right" and his opinion was that in order to get it right, Duke should have been given the win.

There were multiple violations during the play. In my opinion, even if the flag would have stood, Miami still would have been granted an untimed down and that is why the ACC cannot just hand the win to Duke. It did take several minutes to carefully watch the replay. There was at least three potential blocks in the back, a runner's knee may or may not have been down, and at the very end of the play a Miami player leaves the bench area without his helmet on and runs onto the field to celebrate before the play is over. The ACC is never going to get this one right no matter how hard they try.

Dan On Sports

I decided to revive this blog after about six months off because, although I do have my favorite sports teams and blog about most of them, I wanted a blog so I could have a forum on all things sports. A lot happens in the sports world that happen outside the realms of my favorite teams and I am going to use this as a forum to comment on those.

Review Of Boy On Ice

I was a huge Derek Boogaard fan. He was the ultimate NHL Enforcer when he was on the ice. He had the size, he had the pugilistic skills, and he played in the hockey hot bed of Minnesota. I used to scour hockeyfights.com for videos of his fights. The fight he had with Todd Fedoruk was scary because of the destructive power of Boogard's right fist.

I was a Derek Boogaard fan for his ability to fight and that was the wrong reason. His ability to fight was really the only reason he was in the NHL. Author John Branch brought out the pressure that Boogaard felt to do "his job" in Boy On Ice: The Life And Death Of Derek Boogaard. I had heard a book was in the works and I snatched it up as soon as I saw it on the shelf at Barnes & Noble. It was well researched and well written but it was a very tragic story. The story followed Derek Boogaard from his youth through his development as a larger than life character until his tragic early death. The physical and emotional pain, the pressure he felt to deliver for his teammates, friends, and family, all led to his tragic end. All he seemed to want to do was to be a good teammate and friend and to be a hockey player.

The system that surrounds and protects professional athletes failed him. The system enabled him to develop addictions to prescription painkillers with only token attempts at rehab and genuine help. The multiple concussions he received doing "his job" left him with a scarred brain and in all likelihood he would have been a vegetable by the time he was in his 40's.

John Branch did a great job of exposing the failures of the NHL support system but it just wasn't the NHL. Many NHL enforcers have died tragic deaths at very young ages over the past several years. Several have been by suicide. Rick Rypien of the Vancouver Canucks comes to mind.

Professional sports has done a much better job of protecting it's most valuable assets and that is their players. Most professional sports have concussion protocols in place and have really amped up their drug testing and rehab programs.

The Michigan Sideline Fiasco

Player safety has to be paramount on any college football sideline whether it is NAIA or Division I. What happened on the sidelines during the Michigan-Minnesota game last Saturday when Michigan Quarterback Shane Morris was sent back on the field after receiving a serious blow to the head was bad enough. The dance that the University of Michigan Athletic Department is doing now to try to avoid accepting responsibility for the situation is just as bad if not worse. Michigan Head Coach Brady Hoke is using the mantra of "deny, deny, deny" and it seems to be working.

Michigan Athletic Director Dave Brandon described what happened as a "serious lack of communication" between the Michigan medical staff and the Head Coach. From what I saw the Michigan medical staff never even took a look at him before Head Coach Brady Hoke sent him back out on to the field. Brady Hoke described Shane Morris condition as "fine" after the game yet Brandon was issuing apologies 12 hours later. The Medical Staff is describing Morris' condition as a "probable concussion" (maybe Morris should get a second opinion from Ohio State's Medical School) and no one is wanting to take responsibility for what happened.

The ESPN announcers that were working the game immediately questioned the legality of the hit and called for the suspension of the Minnesota football player for "targeting" Morris. Hoke was offended because the media was questioning his integrity for allowing this to happen. He needs to take responsibilty. What sanctions should Hoke face?

Review Of Badasses

I just finished reading Peter Richmond's Badasses: The Legend of Snake, Foo, Dr. Death, and John Madden's Oakland Raiders. This is the story of the Oakland Raiders in the 1970's and the book culminates with the Oakland Raiders finally winning the Super Bowl against the Minnesota Vikings in 1978.

First of all, I have always hated the Oakland Raiders. I thought they played dirty, were a bunch of cheap shot artists, and every call seemed to go their way. I am sure that author Peter Richmond and every Raider fan of that era would disagree with me as he points out with the "Immaculate Reception" that happened at the end of a Playoff game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. I would have to counter that with the "Holy Roller" at the end of a San Diego Chargers game in 1978.

The Oakland Raiders were a team full of characters in the 1970's. Ken Stabler, Fred Biletnikoff, Marv Hubbard, Pete Banaszak, Phil Villapiano, the Soul Patrol Defensive Backfield, and later John Matuszak and Ted Hendricks. This cast of characters was hand picked and assembled by Al Davis and coached by John Madden. They partied hard off the field and played even harder on the field. John Madden allowed them to be characters as long as they showed up to play on Sundays.

Badasses is not going to make me like Al Davis, John Madden, or the Oakland Raiders any more but it was still a good sports read and well researched. I did find it interesting that several of the players declined to be interviewed for the book and others delighted in retelling their stories. It is all about molding all of the characters and personalities into a championship winning team. After several close calls they did manage to win it all in 1978.

Roger Goodell And The NFL

Roger Goodell has come under fire in recent weeks for his handling of the Ray Rice situation and other situations that have come up. Roger Goodell is tasked with one job and that is protecting the interests of the NFL and those interests are primarily those of the team owners in the NFL. It is in the best interests of the NFL to put their best players on the field. Some of those best players are Ray Rice, Adrian Peterson, Robert Hardy, and any of the others that have been in trouble lately. Roger Goodell tried sweeping the Ray Rice situation under the rug and he got busted. The Minnesota Vikings tried downplaying the Adrian Peterson situation and only sitting him out one game. Peterson is the Vikings best player. The NFL received so much public opposition to everything that was going on, they suggested to the Vikings that they need to suspend him indefinitely. The same thing with the Carolina Panthers and Robert Hardy. Hardy had already been convicted of a crime committed against his then girlfriend but the Panthers did not do anything until public opinion went against them. I think the NFL should have been proactive and took immediate action. The players in question should have been suspended until the outcome of their situation was settled. Same thing for the owners. They should be suspended from all team activities until the outcome of their situation is settled. The players and owners are partners in the NFL and should be held to the same societal standards of good behavior.