Saturday Sports Rant: Saves

This week, Mariano Rivera broke the Major League Baseball record for saves in a career. Now, you might wonder just what in the world a save is in baseball. Thinking about this record, I wonder about it as well.

Now, this isn't just about my distaste for the New York Yankees. While my loathing of the Bronx Bombers would be legendary if more people knew about it and it lasted longer, this is about a stat that hovers around 50% meaningless in baseball reality.

Let's look at the definition of a "save" (MLB rules on the web, section 10.19): a pitcher that did not start but finishes a game, pitches at least 1/3 of an inning (gets 1 out), and enters under one of these conditions:

1. A lead of 3 or fewer runs
2. The tying run is on base, at bat, or on deck
3. He pitches at least 3 innings.

So, a pitcher can come into a game after another pitcher has pitched the first eight innings, the offense has provided him a 3-run lead, and as long as he doesn't screw it up and throw a few home run balls, he gets a save.

Really. It's a stat that is awarded as often for just not blowing what your team is on the verge of accomplishing as it is for anything else. Yet now most baseball teams have a specialist in getting saves: he's called a closer.

Here's what happens: the team selects one of their relief pitchers to be the closer. He then almost exclusively pitches in situations that will result in him adding a save to his statistics. If the team is losing, he doesn't pitch. If the team is winning by too much, he doesn't pitch.

Now, I understand the need for someone who can come in calm-headed and straighten out a tense situation. That's valid. However, when you look at baseball history, there's barely a mention of "closer" until the late 70s, and not much until the late 80s. Then, the talk picks up in the 90s through now. Once upon a time in baseball land, pitchers pitched the whole game (they batted too, you American League wimps!) unless something happened to make them leave.

These days, a pitcher goes 6 or 7 innings and then he's done. Give it to the closer. Or to the poor guy that goes in when things are considered beyond fixing.

Where did all this insanity come from? Some, like baseball historians, will link it to Goose Gossage and others. I am not a baseball historian. I blame it on Charlie Sheen.

Why, you ask?

Ever see Major League? The movie, with Sheen, Berenger, and a host of other people….Corbin Bernsen, I think was in it as well. It's a movie that predates Florida baseball teams. The owner of the Cleveland Indians was trying to make the team so bad that no one came, so she could move it to Florida.

Anyway, Sheen plays a good-looking, edgy, pitcher. He's got the looks, the bad-boy attitude, and no baseball stamina. A few innings a night is all he's got. So he becomes the closer. It glamorized the role, and now every team's got to have a closer. That whole "come on the field to rock music" that happens with a lot of closers? Started with Sheen in the movie. Not with baseball necessity.

So, what do I think about this?

Time to dial back the madness. Only award saves that are truly earned: pitcher comes in with the winning run at the plate or on base and it doesn't score. Add that more than 50% of the outs must be by strikeout.  Why?

Not because I dislike Charlie Sheen. Hot Shots remains one of the greatest lousy movies on the face of the earth. Navy Seals was ridiculous enough to keep the world confused about whether SEALS were even real for a few more years. He's been great at being the pretty-boy pain in the neck for years.

What I dislike is how baseball has allowed a low-grade movie to change the face of the game. The stats are padded, the reality of the games as a team effort is downplayed. You read the closing line of a game and you see: winning pitcher, home runs, and save. What about the teamwork that made it happen?

What about the 2B/SS combo that turned 4 double-plays to make it possible? The bunts, the sacrifice fly balls? It's not about the guy on the mound, it's about the nine on the field.

That's my sports rant for the day. Congrats to Rivera for setting a record for a stat that hasn't mattered for the majority of the history of the game. Now, you want to talk about his postseason ERA? That's impressive….

Friday Digest

It's Friday morning, and last night two things happened.

Thing 1 (with apologies to Theodore Giesel and his magical, annoying cat): President Obama made a speech to a joint session of Congress about jobs.

Thing 2: The 2011 NFL season started with the Saints playing the Packers.

Now, I'm writing this Thursday night after the speech and during the game, so I don't have ratings data, but I think it's a safe guess that more people are watching the game than watched the speech.

I watched the speech, and I'm watching the game right now. First, let's have a little fun. Figure out whether each statement applies to the Speech or NFL game.

1. Somewhere, there's a former participant that thinks he could do it better, but won't get the chance. There's also one or two that have done much worse.

2. There's been plenty of applause, but you're not sure which side the clapping is for in the end.

3. Finger-pointing and aggression are on obvious display.

4. Every moment, there's a commentator praising and one criticizing the same thing done by the same person.

5. Wide-angle camera shots show people who aren't really paying attention.

Guess what?

They could all apply to either one. Whether it's a former candidate that thinks he'd be a better President or Brett Favre, #1 applies either way.

When I become President, I intend to circulate a "no-clapping" rule to all sides for my speeches before Congress. You could tell the R—side clapped to things he didn't want clapped for, and the D—side clapped for all of his things. It's all meaningless. Meanwhile, folks are 3 beers in in Green Bay. Were they clapping because Kid Rock sang or because he quit singing? Who knows?

In all, I set up those five statements. They can be parsed, reparsed, and deparsed into whatever meaning you want them to have. That's the stuff of politics and sports-casting: say what people want to hear, do what they expect. You get the cheers, the votes, the ticket sales and the corporate sponsorships. There it is again---that statement applies both to sports and politics—both parties.

Now, obviously there's a hint of criticism here for the political universe of the United States. That is actually not my main point, at least not today.

I want to remind those of you readers that are Christian believers of this fact:

We are not to speak like politicians, we are not to play the crowd like sports teams. Letting our "yes be yes and our no, no" (Matthew 5:37) should be understood as applying to more than just those two statements. This is a command from the Lord Jesus that our words be filled with integrity.

Not with hidden motives or with double-speak. Not with words that can be backed out of or redefined or adjusted with the flow.

We should speak plainly, clearly, and directly in all matters possible.

So, as we fuss a little about politics and keep one eye on the scoreboard, let's remember what we are supposed to be: people of integrity, because He was, is, and ever more will be the One whose words are always true and never questionable. And we're supposed to be like Him.

The NFL Lockout and the Debt Ceiling

Note: I’m trying to get back to a post a day, but to get there, I’m writing a little ahead. While I’m only 24 hours ahead on this post, it’s possible that both of these issues will be resolved by the time you read this post. I still think I’m right in what I say.

We’re now into the second half of the month of July. Here in Arkansas, it’s hot. Not “I need a glass of water” hot, more like “look, the asphalt is melting” hot. (Ever wonder why we still have so many dirt/gravel roads? Asphalt melts in Southern Heat!) Around here, the heat is made worse by the humidity. This isn’t the most pressure in the country right now, though.

That’s reserved for two separate sets of negotiating rooms. One belongs to the National Football League and the other belongs to the US Congress. Back in March, the NFL and the NFL Players Association parted ways and the team owners decided that without a deal they liked, no football work would be done.

Meanwhile, decades of increasing stupidity by the Trunks and Burros in Washington has caused our country’s debt to increase faster than mine at a combo gun and book sale. There’s a lot to this whole debt-limit thing, but essentially: the government actually does not take in enough money to cover all expenses. At this point, we’ve spent approximately $14 trillion more than we’ve taken in. Now, this has taken some time to get done…but it’s where we are. The last 10 years have been particularly hard on the debt. The interest payments alone are getting pretty hard to make. And there’s a law that prohibits the debt from rising any higher than it is now.

So, what’s going on with these two things?

Simple. Grown men (and a few women) are acting like spoiled children. The NFL owners want to keep more of the money that comes in, the NFL players want to get paid more of the money, the stadium workers are unpaid, and the fans will keep footing the bill. Congress has voted to spend money that doesn’t exist and keeps voting to do that. Of course, now each side wants to blame the other. And who is going to pay for it? Taxpayers---who else?

What do I have to say about both of these?

Grow up. Every last one of you.

To the NFL: how about using that $9 billion dollars to repay every municipality you’ve ripped off to pay for new stadiums then find a way to cut the cost for normal people to attend. How about paying more than minimum wage to the parking lot attendants? There’s a source for these billions you all are throwing around and those people are living with a minimal unemployment rate of 9%. You are part of the entertainment/diversion function of society that helps people cope with some of their tragedies. Get over yourselves and get back to work. And you owners? Can’t you live with a slightly slimmer profit margin? Really? You can’t?

To the Congress: you approved the budgets that have created the debt mess. In essence, you’ve approved raising the debt limit because you voted to spend it. This is ridiculous behavior by you and by the current and past Presidents that have kept this up. The alternative that you must take is to cut where you can and raise revenue to cover the rest. If you don’t like that, then find more cuts. Get it done. You are living in the perks, but it’s time to live in the responsibility. The next budget should be balanced and all of them afterwards should be. Do it. When the people throw a fit about the cuts, tell them the option is higher taxes, and not just on the rich but on everyone. Like the 50% of Americans that pay no taxes to the Federal Government.

To the corporate sponsors of both the NFL and the Politicians (yes, we know you’re bought and paid for by special interests): Spend your money elsewhere. Really. I’d shop at Home Depot if they’d run ads that stated “Instead of spending millions to be the Official Home Improvement Store of the NFL, we decided to fund a real kindergarten.” Those billions could solve some real problems.

Likewise for all those political donations. Word has it that millions are already in the bank for the upcoming Presidential election. How about schools or groups that provide job training for the people who have lost theirs? Instead of dumping thousands on a Senator or a President, put it into feeding the homeless or starting a business. It might do amazing things.

To taxpayers and fans (us): Can we stop falling for this? Please? As soon as the lockout is over, we’ll be lining up to buy merchandise, tickets, NFL Sunday Ticket on DirecTV or whatever. We’ll vote for the same politicians that put us in this bind because they fought for our region’s kickbacks or because they spout the rhetoric we like. Hold them accountable: in a reasonable, civil manner—bury them under real letters and then under votes for someone else! Oppose them in primaries, elections, and speak up.

Let’s quit being dumb. We are responsible for this because we’ve allowed it to go on. It’s time to stop it!

To the NFL and NFLPA

On behalf of we, the football fans of the United States, I'd like to express a few quick comments to you both. This will be brief, as you need to get your tails right back in the same room, sign the piece of paper, take the off-season, and then get ready for football this fall.

To the owners:

1. We fans know why players are paid those insanely huge salaries: you pay them. Guess what our bosses do when personnel costs are too big a piece of the pie? They cut salaries and cut people. They act like they are in charge, because they are. They don't hire new people at twice the salary of existing people either.

2. We fans know why you pay rookies so much. No, we don't. We don't actually understand why you pay an untested person so much more than experienced people. Most of you have other businesses. Do you approve that in those businesses?

3. That your revenues are so high annoys us. How much does it cost the average family to actually attend football games? How much did you get for moving the Monday Night Football games off of broadcast TV and onto Cable/Satellite that not everyone can afford?

4. How much do you pay the part-time workers that actually make the games happen? Field crews and such? Not nearly enough, I'd guess. You're so busy spending millions for a rookie that won't play well that your ticket-takers are making minimum wage.

5. Manage your team like a business, but realize that you're supposed to be running it to please your customers and your customers are us, the fans of your team. Not Fox, CBS, ESPN, NBC. They are vehicles to deliver your product to your customers.

For the NFLPA:

1. Keep in mind that some of your players make more in one year than most of us make in lifetime. The "shortened career so we need more money" argument doesn't hold a lot of water to us fans. The rookie minimum is somewhere around 10 times what I make in a year. That's the minimum. This year's 'Rookie of the Year' has a contract guaranteeing him $50 million.

1a. And can the "dangerous" talk. Really? How about the Postal Service folks that had to drive on dangerous roads? Coast Guardsmen rescuing boaters? School teachers? And don't get started on workers in steel mills and meat packing plants---your jobs are not any more dangerous than many people's work. You have team doctors to help you get healthy rather than worker's comp reps out to keep you from filing a claim.

2. We hear you whining about clubs forcing players to "toe the club line" and remember stories of athletes getting too drunk or too high and doing things that are at the least morally reprehensible and more likely criminal. Then they don't get prosecuted because they're rich and famous. Guess what? We want the players to "toe the line." Actually, we want them way off of it. We kind of expect coaches to be allowed to bench players that don't follow instructions because (ready for this?) the coach is in charge of the team. Not the players.

3. We fully sympathize that there are retired players that need better support. How about publicizing that your proposal reserves a respectable percentage of revenue for them? Something in the 25% or better range? Or is it just lip service?

4. You want to fuss about player safety, but then you do not want effective player conduct policies. Do you not realize that a solid night of drugs and alcohol are more likely to cause brain damage than a single concussion?

5. Nice of you to show up at other unions' activities, as if you really care. How about announcing that you'll take a 1-year deal to ensure the season happens so that all those stadium workers don't lose their jobs while you fight with the owners? You know, a few hot dogs for the masses while you fat cats fight for steaks?

6. One last note: keep in mind, while some players' only chance of a college education came from their football scholarship, they should have taken advantage of that and have a degree. At which point, there are a myriad of career possibilities. Quit acting like all these players could do is play football.

To you both:

1. How long have you known the CBA was about to expire? And why have you been so slow to negotiate it? We see that both of you have held out, and we know it's about money.

2. In truth, we don't really care about 16 games or 18 games. What we don't want are 4 pre-season games hyped as if they are important and ticket sold as if they were important so that we can watch the third-stringers fight it out. Call them scrimmages and have them on Tuesdays without cameras. Have 2 real preseason games that feature more than 1 series by the top players. Keep the season 16 games and go on.

3. We will, certainly, forgive in time that you two have colluded together to mess up the next season. We're like that, us Americans. It's evidenced by the fact that we still vote for Republicans and Democrats, that MLB didn't go bust as they should have post-1995, and that we will tune back in.

However, we're watching you. We're learning, again, that our heroes and role models are not best picked from your ranks. If a hero is going to wear a uniform, it needs to feature rank, name, branch of service, type of service. They need to come from folks who have a rookie pay scale and a boot camp or a training academy where they learn to work as a team, follow necessary orders, and do their job no matter what. Our heroes should be those who fight for freedom, not for one more yard.

Sports can give us inspiration and happiness. In fact, that's what you're best at doing. If you take that away, we'll notice.

Doug

A letter to Jeff Fisher

Note: it seems that the blog-flavor of the month is the “Open Letter” to someone famous. Usually they’ve contained rebukes, but occasionally admiration. Many of these posts have been high-traffic. Not one to avoid shamelessly copying success, here’s one from me.

An Open Letter to Jeff Fisher:

Dear Coach Fisher,

We’ve never met, and likely never will. However, I thought I’d take the time to write you a brief note now that your name is all over the NFL news for a day or two. The first time I really heard anything about you was the Titans-Rams Superbowl. No, I don’t remember which one that was or what year, because I’m not that big of a football remembering person. I remember how that game ended, with your team about a yard from winning. I remember the “Music City Miracle” that it took to get you there. I was also happy you lost, because I was a Kurt Warner fan at the time.

Next time I saw you was when you appeared with Kurt as a Dove Awards presenter. Not many people bother even watching the Doves, and maybe you only did it for PR since they were in Nashville, but at the time I appreciated your graciousness with your ‘nemesis’ and enthusiasm for where you were as a coach and person. Over the years since, I’ve become a fan of the Tennessee Titans mainly because I’ve been a fan of you.

Now, I recognize that you are not perfect. Far from it, perhaps, but no more so than I am. I’ve seen your efforts over the years to produce teams that were not just effective on the field but that also contained men of character off the field. I know that, from what I’ve seen in media, some of the off-field situations have caused you personal grief. You’ve worked hard to rise above those.

I’ve seen your public reactions to success on your teams and adversity with them. You earned my respect years ago with how you handled yourself, and I have yet to see a reason for you to lose it.

It was with sadness I saw the initial “tweet” from the official Titans Twitter account that you were leaving. Any other source and I would not have even gotten on ESPN to check it, but there it was. I don’t know what finalized the rift there in Nashville these past few months, but it’s over.

I will remain, for a time, a fan of the Tennessee Titans. Growing up, I had a preference for the Dallas Cowboys, but a combination of losses and lost character has caused me to look elsewhere. In time, perhaps, the Titans will face the same response from me, not that they’ll notice.

You, however, have a fan in me. I hope that you land well from your departure, whether you go to broadcasts, another NFL team, a college, or, heck, if you go down the road and coach an Upward Flag Football team, I’ll watch when I can. I hope that you receive the success your commitment to excellence deserves. And yes, I know you have a commitment to excellence even though there were bad years at LP Field. You rarely made excuses and you certainly were not pleased with them.

From a fan, I wish you well in the future, but with that I have a request.

Don’t go to Oakland.

Doug Hibbard

Reminders of Lessons from Sports

After watching part of the BCS Title game last night between Alabama and Texas, I'm reminded of certain lessons from sports.  And I'm going to remind you of them:

1. You cannot build your team around 1 single individual.  It just doesn't work.  Don't believe?  When's the last time the Chicago Bulls were worth following? Even when you have talent of Jordan's caliber, you have to have a team!  For Texas to fall apart on both offense and defense over one player's injury shows that they were not prepared to play as a team, but rather were built as a star with a supporting cast.  And just as a note: had Ingram gotten hurt, Alabama would have shown itself to be just as troubled.  College athletics have, unfortunately, become too much about a school striving to launch a high-profile pro-athlete as playing a team sport.

So, the first lesson is leadership development and responsibility sharing, because that's what it takes to not be 1 person dependent.  In your church, are you doing this?  Far too many churches go to pieces when the pastor moves away.  Now, some pastors leave that shouldn't, but that's another post.  The church needs to be prepared for the possibility.  Companies do the same thing.  Why should a company pay tens of millions in bonuses to keep 1 person when they could spend that money to employ additional people and train them to carry the load?  It may seem like redundancy, but what about when that 1 crucial employee gets the swine flu?

2. This is a corollary to the other statement: it takes the whole team to win a game.  It takes offense, defense, special teams.  The opening of the game, Alabama screwed up on offense, special teams, and their defense looked porous.  I was afraid I would have to apologize for all the pro-SEC talk prior to the game, although my dislike of Nick Saban was getting happier by the error.  However, it takes all parts of the team to succeed.

In your church or business, are you developing your whole team?  Or are you neglecting your weaknesses and hoping no one notices?  Every year there are teams better in one category than the national title holder.  In baseball, someone's usually got a better hitter or better pitcher, in football there are better offenses and defenses.  The difference is that a defense that allows 30 points a game has to have an offense that scores 31 every time to win, and that's not as likely as you would want it.  If your sales side is great but you don't support your products, your business will falter.  If your outreach teams get people into church but your Sunday School teachers don't connect them, if your services are great but no one is coming, then your church will falter.  Develop all sides.

3. You have to play the whole game.  As Texas was flattening Alabama's offense on the first series, they had an energy and enthusiasm that was quite nearly infectious.  It was also annoying.  They spent a lot of energy dancing and celebrating, running around after plays.  Bama then put up 24 unanswered points in the first half, and went on to put up a total of 37.  What made part of that difference?  Look at the faces on the Alabama sideline and the Texas sideline.  Even after blowing the fake punt and muffing the kickoff, Alabama's team looked determined to keep fighting.  Texas, on the other hand, looked lost after McCoy's injury.  Each time they had something go wrong, they looked increasingly desperate. They then went on to lose the game.  The difference? I think the Tide knew they had all game to correct for errors.  It's true the hole gets too big to fill sometimes, but Texas is a good team and could have even made up the deficit after half-time.  They nearly did.

We too often give up early.  We don't always say so, but we do it anyway.  It may be that you start 'mailing it in' to work or quit supporting your church quite so enthusiastically.  Sure, you're still there, but you're not really all there.  You're beginning to settle and just go through the motions.  Or you've already got your heart set on the next big thing and don't want the risk (Note what happened in Arkansas' bowl appearance a few years ago when it seemed a pair of superstar running backs decided to leave college early but still had to play that game.)  You need to finish with the same intensity you started with, as best you can.  Sometimes you need a break, a rest.  That's what timeouts and half-times are for. 

The real challenge in sustaining the intensity in life is that, well, you don't know how long you've got.  How long will you be at that job?  How long will you be in this church? You have to bring all you have no matter how long you've been there or how long you'll be there.  Take the time-outs you need, take the intermission to catch up when necessary, but you can't stop.

 

Doug

Thursday Sports--September 17 2009

Thursday Morning Sports Guy September 17, 2009

Ok, so a couple of weeks ago, ESPN ran the story that a few current and former football players for the Michigan Wolverines had leveled allegations that the football team was made to practice and work on football beyond the NCAA limit. This story surprised me. Why?

1. There's a limit? Yes, there is! Apparently, teams can only require 20 hours a week apart from game day activities. What are the players supposed to do with rest of their time? I think the idea was to go to class. Novel thought, I know.

2. These players complained about it in the news media. Why? To get attention? Hard when you're the “ unnamed sources within the Michigan program.”

3. Michigan? They're cheating, allegedly, but I'd take all but 2 SEC teams against them any day. Sorry to Mississippi State and Vanderbilt, but y'all ain't up to that yet, you know?

Now, Michigan's defense is two-pronged:

1. Everybody does it. All programs exceed the 20-hour limit. Which, to me, is a lousy excuse. Always has been. I grew, as most kids did, with Dad asking “If everyone jumped off a bridge, would you?” Sure, Dad, if everyone else went first. It wouldn't hurt too bad.

2. The excess hours are supposedly “ voluntary.” Multiple teams have brought this as a defense of Michigan's actions. What, apparently, goes on is this: senior leadership of the football team goes through the athletic dorms during times that aren't practice times, which are confined to the hour limit, and spot football players doing various activities. In the off-chance that a player is really studying, they leave them alone. But if Bob the defensive back is kicked back watching I Love Lucy reruns, other players have Bob join them in their room, where they watch game film and talk about either what happened last game or what will happen next game. Essentially, during the season, moments not occupied with academics are mostly taken up with football. (in theory, we know a few folks get into trouble. So do seminary students.)

Is this a problem? Well, perhaps for something as minor as football, it shouldn't be as all consuming. But it's a good illustration. Our life as believers in Jesus cannot be confined to something that has a major game day (Sunday) with a limit on the hours we put in elsewhere. True, there's a limit to the formal time we can gather and have structured practice (Bible studies, prayer meetings), but there can be no limitation on the informal growth and expansion of our walk with Christ. Rather than watching TV alone, could you be building fellowship with another family of believers? Or with a family of unbelievers that you might point them to Christ? How can you use your time at the football game to be an example of the Glory of God?

Everything does not have to be documented, measurable action, but it should all point to the Glory of the One who has saved us. It should be an all-consuming passion that takes up what we say, do, watch, read, and work on. Don't impose a limit.

Sports note: I note the passing of NCAA President Miles Brand. He was formerly President of Indiana University, where he finally acted on the fact that winning cannot be everything for college athletics. He has tried to bring some of that to the NCAA, and I hope it's a continuing legacy. It would be good to remember that schools have scholarship athletics to provide educational opportunity, not to field championship teams or prepare people for professional athletics. Championships can be sought, but they shouldn't be the goal. I hope that Miles Brand leaves a legacy beyond just college athletics, and that's a legacy of faith. I don't know if he does or not, since I've only read of him in mainstream media that avoids all mention of a person's Christian faith, but we'll see if anything comes out.

Thursday Sports August 27

Thursday Sports! August 27 2009

Well, baseball is winding towards its conclusion, with playoff races firming up and some teams going ahead and letting players get the season-ending surgeries they've been putting off (Santana of the Mets is an example). Meanwhile, football is working through its 4 pointless pre-season games, and college football cranks up, I believe, this weekend!

So, here are some sports picks for you:

Baseball: Detroit will win the AL Central, go on to the World Series, and then the economy of Michigan will recover because of all the long-shot bets placed on the Tigers at the beginning of the season. Tax revenues from W-2G income will balance the state budget.

Football:

NFL: There are 32 NFL Teams. That means that, currently, 32 men have jobs as NFL head coaches. By October 1, at least one of those men will be out of a job. No team will even consider hiring a woman for that role, but nobody will mention that.

Team specifics: Eagles: as soon as McNabb has a bad day, the fans will scream to put Vick in as starting QB. Vick will return to his ways at Atlanta, and get hurt, resulting in another team going into “Well, if only (insert star player name here) hadn't been injured” mode.

Cowboys: Visiting teams will deliberately bounce punts off the scoreboard hanging over the field. Some will set-up ways to play this to their advantage. Eventually, a QB will attempt to use it as a deflection shot. Then, somebody will manage to hit it just right to wedge the ball into the scoreboard. Since it's in play, the ball stays live, and it'll take up the rest of the game clock to get it down. And Jerry Jones will fire a coach.

Titans: Decent season, probably not resulting in a Superbowl win, which will lead to questions about Jeff Fisher as a coach, and all sorts of reminders about coming up 1 yard short in 2000. He will remain, and continue as the longest tenured coach, because Bud Adams understands it's about more than just one title.

Bill Cowher and Tony Dungy will be begged to return to coaching. Dungy won't. Cowher might.

Colts: Manning will use not having Dungy as coach for the excuse for this year.

College football: The BCS will be whined about. Congress and the President will meddle with the system, force a playoff, which will then be complained about because it's not fair either, just like all of the playoffs in pro sports get griped about. Why? Because we're lousy losers in this country.

Teams: Arkansas will do ok, but not as well as we'd like. People will continue to blame Houston Nutt for it, but next year Petrino's going to have to produce.

Mississippi will do well, and people will claim that it's not because of Houston Nutt.

At least 2 SEC teams will fire coaches.

Other conferences will talk smack about the SEC, but nobody will want to play SEC teams.

At least 2 NCAA coaches will claim 'no interest' in coaching in the NFL, but will be considered, and possibly hired, as NFL coaches anyway. And will come back in 3 years or less.

Doug

Thursday Sports-August 20

Thursday Morning Sports—August 20 2009

Well, the Thursday sports crew has had a busy week. The Braves have done well, done poorly, and moved hardly a notch in the standings. NFL pre-season games have started, and our beloved Titans won their first game, although Yahoo Sports was misreporting the score the next morning. The scoreboard on my home page showed them losing 24-21, when they had won 21-18. You know what matters? Really, none of it---it's a preseason game! However, there's a real record book, and there's what gets reported in the media. Even if every news agency reports it wrongly, no matter who believes CNN/SI, FOXSports, CBSports, or ESPN, there is an accurate record kept by the NFL, and that's the only one that matters. Hmmm....there might be some thoughts to add to Tuesday Morning Theology. About the idea of objective standards and records compared to what the world thinks or believes. Then, we've got College Football cranking up, and the SEC is sure to be the crazy conference it's always been. Add to that the increased governmental interest in nit-picking the BCS to death, which might blur over on to Monday Morning Politics.

So, what shall we turn our attention to today?

First, a warning to Kentucky fans. Right now, the reports are that Memphis will have to vacate the wins, and the national runner-up status, from the 2007-2008 season. You remember that one? When John Calipari had recruited Derrick Rose to come to college free for a year before going to the NBA? When, since NCAA rules prohibit using the names of incoming freshman to advertise, they just put up billboards around town with a rose on it and talking about the Tigers “Blooming”? Well, guess what? It turns out that, apparently, someone involved with the University of Memphis Basketball program, related to recruiting, qualifying, and bringing in new athletes, was aware or involved with helping falsify an SAT score for qualification of a new freshman player.

No names have been released, but apparently it was a freshman on that team that never played for the Tigers again. And because of this, which is cheating, the team will have to invalidate its wins for that season. This is the second team that Calipari has coached to the Final Four that ended up vacating its wins. It happened at Massachusetts in the 1990s.

So, Kentucky fans, I'd like to pass on a warning for you. If the Wildcats make the Final Four this year, don't celebrate yet. Wait until Calipari has gone on somewhere else, and the NCAA is done investigating before you celebrate. Better a late party than voided party. Now, I'm sure there are some that believe “He didn't have anything to do with it.” Right. After all, as the head coach, he's not responsible for what happens, right? And he's never been tainted by this type of scandal before, right? So, it's just an illogical jump that he'd be involved.

The university athletics system is breaking, folks. It exists to provide educational opportunities to student-athletes and to provide the leadership and life training sports can provide. It is becoming a self-serving beast. Your college doesn't have a team to win championships, but that's what we expect. And coaches should be teaching athletes by word and deed the life skills they need. Instead, they are learning that as long as they win games, any wrongdoing is overlooked. Is it any wonder we have steroid scandals, sexual assault scandals, drug dealing, dogfighting, and all manner of other criminal behavior?

Second observation: stick with what you're good at. Jimmy Johnson knew he needed to pit, but then decided to play fuel-mileage games at Michigan. And lost. Mark Martin knew he probably needed gas. Didn't pit. Lost, and is just a few points from falling out of the Chase. Both of them could have pitted, fueled, and still finished top-10 in that race. Lessons? 1.)Refuel when you need it. 2.)Don't press your luck. It'll get pressed enough. Mark Martin could find himself caught up in a wreck next week and fall completely out of the championship race, while he'd have held on to that spot had he finished top-10. Life will send enough bad your way. Don't add to it.

Doug

Thursday Sports August 13 Smoltz

Thursday Morning Sports!

August 13 2009 Edition

Ok, so today's blog feature post is about sports. What about sports? Well, sometimes this will feature deep, thought provoking sports stories. As I get back into doing historical research, some of what you'll see here are great inspirations from the history of sports. You'll see things about odd sports and great sportsmen. You might read stories of how sports led the way in societal transformation.

But today we're going to talk about John Smoltz. Why? Not because I dislike Smoltz. Far from it. He's generally been a great pitcher, and, from accounts I read, I good person as well. Not knowing him personally, all I've got are second-hand words.

So why talk about him? Well, here's a guy that pitched marvelously for the Atlanta Braves. Did so for many years. Then he got hurt. Had surgery, tried to come back. Couldn't quite start, so he moved to a spot as a relief pitcher, primarily as a closer. And John Smoltz as a closer was one of the scariest things opposing teams faced that year. If the Braves had been able to shore up starting pitching (and offense!) that year, it would have been tremendous. Unfortunately, they didn't. One of the reasons was the hope that Smoltz would return as a starter, and they didn't want to take his spot.

Well, return he did, but he wasn't quite as dominating, and then he got hurt again. Which led to more surgery more rehab. This year, the Braves had let him go, which wasn't a real good public relations move, but they did it anyway. He went to the Boston Red Sox. And guess what? He pitched awfully for them. So bad that a Cy Young Award winner and probable Hall of Famer has been cut from the team. Officially, he's “designated for assignment” which means he ain't playing for the Red Sox, they're just not sure what to do with him. Probably he'll get cut completely.

Which brings us to my question: Why not, especially if you're the Braves, see if you can get him back and in the bullpen, relieving? That's long been a shortfall for Atlanta. Shaky relief pitching. Smoltz seems to get hurt on long outings. And typical relievers have 2 or 3 pitches, while he's got 4 or 5. Plus, you've got a guy that is semi-decent with a bat.

What would stop them? Well, he might not want to do it. He might want to keep trying to be a starter. They might not want to pay him enough. He has to decide what he wants to do, where he wants to be.

What about us? How often do we hold onto one phase of life too long? Do we resist seeing that, perhaps, what we love to do isn't defined by filling one position, but the greater activity we're involved in? Would we take a different role to stay in it? Would we let other people define our role, or do we insist on doing it our way? Those of you who lead organizations and people, are you willing to encourage someone into something they are reluctant to do, because they'd be good at it?

If the Braves will ask him to come back, there might be a wild-card slot in their future this season. And if all the Phillies get swine flu and forfeit a week, a division championship again. If the Braves will do their part and secure a good man, great player, I'll do what I can: stay off the field, and try to find someone to go cough all over the Philadelphia dugout.