Maybe it’s just me, but…
METS/YANKEES
As of 8/8, the Mets record was 60-54, .526 with 48 games left to reach the 90-win mark. That breaks down for them having to play 30-18, .766 ball for the rest of the season to get there. At the same time, the Yankees record on 8/8 was not much better. They were 63-52, .548, and had 47 games to reach the 95-win mark. They had to go 32-18, .68, for the rest of the way. Can I see third place for both of them? Well, excuse me, but yes I can.
BLAND ICHIRO
Bruce Jenkins (SF Chronicle) wrote that at one time, long ago, fans got all their baseball information from the backs of trading cards – “Joe spends a good part of his winter in a duck blind.” However, with Ichiro, we almost know nothing except that he’s very talented (he must be to be known by only his first name). He seems to be a lot more like Gehrig than Bonds. For example, in the middle of a bean-ball exchange, one pitch was aimed directly at Ichiro’s head and he refused to become involved saying, “I refuse to believe that it was intentional.” He plays certain hitters very shallow to make them angry, “So they lose their temper a little bit and try to hit the ball too hard – but never once did a ball get past me.” Bland is refreshing. Bland, in this case, is cool!
JET QB
The Sports Curmudgeon told me, “The reason the Jets traded for Brett Favre is because Kellen Clemens is several years away from becoming a mediocre starting QB in the NFL.”
ART MONK
If you look at Art Monk’s list of honors, they all seem to be a celebration of mediocrity and hardly a harbinger of a selection to the NFL Hall of Fame. However, when his career stats are seen, many readers say, “That’s quite a lot.” He caught 940 passes in 16 years (almost 60 per year), breaking Steve Largent’s all-time mark before he too was passed. Monk never ripped off his helmet to celebrate or complain. That may have created more notice than he ever wanted. He was a notoriously private man who was never very chatty even with long-time teammates. One such teammate, Gary Clark, said, “A nod from Monk represented an outpouring of communication.” He was a possession receiver who had good size, soft hands, and was the primary third down receiver who preserved a drive. Although he was selected to only three Pro Bowls and was first team All-Pro just once, fans voted Monk the best player in team history.
INSTANT REPLAY IN LITTLE LEAGUE
In another example of adults imposing their warped perspective on children’s games, the Little League World Series will use ESPN’s instant-replay technology to review calls of batted balls that leave the field of play. A better idea, as some of us have been saying for years would be for ESPN to refrain from television 32 LLWS games and just let the kids be kids.
UNDERSTANDING IS A PROBLEM
Gilbert Arenas said he wouldn’t bolt to play in Europe when his current contract with the D.C. Wizards is completed. “I can’t understand my kids,” he said, “let alone another language.”
JUST HOW GOOD WAS USAIN BOLT?
David Thomas (Ft. Worth Star-Telegram) had his thoughts about Bolt’s 100-meter dash. “The only thing open to debate is how much lower the time could have been had, the Jamaican runner not spent the final 15-meters thumping his chest, waving to competitors, signing autographs and doing the Hokey-Pokey.”
INCLUSIONS
The Sports Curmudgeon saw the trampoline competition in the Olympics and wondered if hopscotch and double-dutch was far behind. “Since TV ratings seem to have importance if regard to what is an Olympic sport, how long before Beer Pong and women’s mud wrestling are demonstration sports?”
TRUE REPORTS
I can’t wait for all of the sports writers to get home from China so we can get an uncensored report about the games, the participants and the judging. It’s pretty obvious that the boxing commentators were muzzled. Teddy Atlas may have been threatened with expulsion from the country if he continued talking about the boxing judges and their questionable scoring.
Again, maybe that’s just me…
