Post by dex on May 31, 2014 9:30:12 GMT -5
www.golocalprov.com/sports/john-rooke-thinking-out-loud139
Saturday, May 31, 2014
John Rooke, GoLocalProv Sports MINDSETTER
Thinking out loud…while wondering whatever happened to Jerry Mathers?
Tweet of the Week I – from @nypost: "Two jackasses got married in Italy Saturday..."
I’m quite certain the irony has set in with Sox fans by now…on the same day Boston lost its 10th straight game – the longest losing streak in 20 years – Josh Beckett threw his first career no-hitter for the Los Angeles Dodgers. That’s not irony. That’s just downright cruelty…
Piling on the hurt…Beckett tossed his no-no at 34 years of age, the oldest pitcher to throw a no-hitter since Randy Johnson threw one at age 40 in 2004…and Beckett had thrown just ONE complete game over the past FIVE YEARS before his performance against Philadelphia. Rumor has it that Jonathan Papelbon, the erstwhile Red Sox closer during Beckett’s tenure in Boston, offered to abandon his Phillies to close for his former teammate…if he needed it…
On top of that, Domino’s Pizza gave away 20,000 (yes, that’s TWENTY THOUSAND) free pizzas for their “DomiNoNo” promotion with MLB.com – and they’ll give away 20K more with the next no-hitter that is thrown this season. So there’s still hope for you, if you didn’t get in on this one. But don’t you think this would have been better served if Kentucky Fried Chicken and Bud Light had been the sponsors?
Speaking of Papelbon…it seems that noted Philly sports-antagonist Howard Eskin has gotten under his skin. Eskin has been critical of Papelbon ever since he arrived in Philly, and recently called into question Pap’s unavailability to pitch without being injured…going so far as to tweet Pap’s wife on whether or not he was hung over from an earlier night out with Jacoby Ellsbury. Papelbon and Eskin had to be separated last weekend in the Phillies’ clubhouse after exchanging opposing views…
Zen Question of the Week: Are the recent additions to the disabled list for the Red Sox because players are actually injured, or embarrassed?
Rumors, schmoomers…yes, the Red Sox need outfield help. Yes, it appears the Sox will still spend money to get it, but not overpay for it. Andre Ethier, who is still owed more than $50 million on his deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers, probably isn’t the answer as WEEI.com’s Rob Bradford reported this week. But someone to keep an eye on – Mookie Betts. The Double A Portland Sea Dog standout 2nd baseman has begun playing the outfield…since there’s an obvious road block to that spot in Boston. Don’t be surprised if (when) he arrives in Pawtucket to find him roaming center field, rather than patrolling the infield at 2B…
Where were you when the Sox won it all in ’04? With friends and family watching the whole, incredible thing go down…and running into the streets of Pawtucket screaming at the top of our lungs. The kids, that is. The kids were screaming at the top of their lungs, and we, as the adult role-model parents, tried to make them stop…but couldn’t…
Sure Theo…signing Manny Ramirez last week to a Triple A deal as a “player-coach” with the Iowa Cubs had nothing to do with being a PR move. If a 41-year-old player/coach can actually help you win games…or even improve your younger players (as Epstein says Manny has shown he wants to do)…what does that say about your organization overall? And starting at AAA? How about learning the ropes at the lesser levels, to start with…
First question out of Manny’s mouth when told he was back in baseball had to be “Where’s Iowa?” Just sayin’…
Manny Ramirez (ethicsalarms.com)
All joking aside…I kinda get why Theo is bringing him back/to Chicago. Ramirez was a great hitter, and maybe he can teach some positive things to Cubs’ prospects...not the negative ones. He’s low risk (low money on a coaching salary), high reward (if he’s successful). He was good for the Sox, for a time, and without his presence, we never would have had the chance this week to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the “moment we’re all waiting for…”
But did anyone else buy the Manny Redemption Tour thing? And a three-time suspended PED-user throwing out the first pitch Wednesday night over guys like Pedro, or Damon, or Keith Foulke? Or a cancer-stricken Curt Schilling? That was a blatant mistake by the Red Sox. It was all too staged for my liking…whether he’s “found God” or not. I am all for 2nd chances…but 4th, 5th or 6th chances? You’re on your own, pal. Actions speak louder than words, don’t they?
I’ll give him credit, though. He played it to the hilt. He apologized, and fans love to forgive. He apologized to former Sox traveling secretary Jack McCormick, for throwing him down after not delivering on some game tickets back in 2008. McCormick was 64 at the time…only took him six years to apologize for throwing an older man to the ground. Yeah…that’s an MVP alright…
Gaunt, but gallant…Schilling’s return was striking, as his on-going battle with cancer was evident by his physical appearance. I know there are some in Rhode Island who might not wish him well because of his failed 38 Studios enterprise…but if you’re one of those, I hope you saw him at Fenway this week. You’ll think differently now, I’ll wager…
Tweet of the Week II – from @josecanseco: “I see today (last Monday) is 21st anniversary of the ball of my head game. Poor ball was never the same.” Neither were you, Jose. Neither were you…
Don’t you just hate ceremonial first-pitches? Especially when they’re really, really bad? Rapper 50 Cent (aka Curtis Jackson) had one last week for the Mets that was, um, not worth a plugged nickel…and decidedly Just a Lil Bit outside…
Adam Scott (mid-day.com)
No question about it…following the PGA Tour without Tiger is kinda like watching the Patriots play without Tom Brady. But I will say this – if you missed last weekend’s play on the tour, then you missed what a World #1 should do…and that’s hit big shots to win a tournament. Adam Scott did just that, in coming from behind to force a playoff and win at Colonial…
Scott now becomes the answer to a pretty good trivia question…so try this one on your golf buddies: Who is the only golfer to have won all four of the Texas PGA Tour stops in his career? Not Ben Hogan, not Byron Nelson. Not Palmer, Player, Nicklaus or Trevino. Adam Scott now has victories in Fort Worth (Colonial Crown Plaza Invitational), Dallas (Byron Nelson), Houston (Houston Open) and San Antonio (Texas Open)…
Had the chance to meet and interview Scott for the first time almost 10 years ago, at a charity event held at Ledgemont in Seekonk. Not only was the Australian poster boy polite and poised as a younger man (he’s 33 now), he spoke about his aspirations of becoming the best in the world someday. That day is here…and he’s well on his way toward becoming one of the planet’s most marketable sports personalities. His ascension will only help golf, not hurt it, with fans and TV viewership…
And a GREAT Indy 500 finish was pretty much ruined by some producer for ESPN/ABC deciding the human interest side of the story was more important than the actual race itself. Note to wanna-be producers…the game, the event – that’s still WHY you are there in the first place. Girlfriend reaction is secondary. With a race that was THAT close at the finish line, the 2nd closest finish in the history of the 500, I want to see ALL OF IT on my big screen. That is all…
I often find myself rooting for the story, rather than rooting for an individual or a team. Guess that’s just the old reporter in me. And it’s the reason I’m pulling for California Chrome at Belmont…1st Triple Crown winner in 36 years? That’s a story…
Au revoir, thanks for playing…Serena Williams, winner of 17 Grand Slam tennis tournaments and the defending champ at Roland Garros, was unceremoniously dumped in the 2nd round of the French Open this week, losing in a hardly-broke-a-sweat 6-2, 6-2 stunner to Garbine Muguruza of Spain. Losing two-and-two in a major? I sense boredom has set in. Sister Venus also lost in the 2nd round…perhaps the two sisters just got tired of facing each other, which they would have done had they won…
Muguruza had 66-1 odds, according to Oddschecker, of beating Williams in straight sets. Sure would have made a C-note happy…
Not for nuthin’…but the best part of the French Open thus far? Post-match interviews, in English. By reporters who don’t watch the matches. Here’s an example…
It was over before it started…New York is now OUT of the running for making a bid at the 2024 Olympic Games, according to Mayor Bill de Blasio’s office in a Wall Street Journal report. Governor Andrew Cuomo was doing all of the assessing, but the city wanted no part of it. Neither does Philadelphia, either. Boston, apparently, still does…
Potential host cities for the 2022 Winter Olympics are dropping like flies. Why? After Sochi, Russia’s 50-billion dollar boondoggle, no city wants to take on the task of building facilities that will most likely go to waste once the Games have left town. And spend billions of dollars to bury themselves deeper in debt. The only two cities left in the running, right now, for 2022 – Almaty, Kazakhstan and Beijing, China…two cities where the public has no say in the decision…
How did the world get to this point? It all began right here, in the good ‘ol U.S. of A. The 1984 Summer Olympics (and I was there, working for the Olympic Committee) were such a first-time financial success under Peter Ueberroth that his template finally could not stand up to the weight of expectations elsewhere. Build it, the world will come. It’s true…and the sponsors will follow. That also happened. But Los Angeles also had quite a bit of infrastructure in place, unlike many cities that have followed…and the added construction expense coupled with shrinking interest and sponsor (and perhaps TV) dollars is now driving cities into debt, and driving the world away from the “honor” of being an Olympic host…
Honestly, how can anyone take “injury reports” seriously anymore? Serge Ibaka’s return for the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Playoffs cannot be understated – he’s flat out saved his teams’ Western Conference finals series with San Antonio – but wasn’t he supposed to be out for the year with a severely injured left calf? Puh-leeze. Guys will play when they want to play. Hurt or not. Period…
Tweet of the Week III – from @fact: “Chocolate, sex and laughter are all key to a healthy brain.” I need to stop denying myself a healthy head…
I’m all giddy with delight…OTA’s have started (insert sarcasm font here)! The media horde followed a few Patriots to area schools this week as the team promoted the NFL’s “Play 60” initiative with kids…and the best questions came from some of those kids: “What would you be if you weren’t a football player?” And – “do you have any stuffed animals?”
Seriously…Organized Team Activities in the NFL are nothing much more than a chance for players to get acquainted, maybe run through the playbook, and for coaches to assess personnel prior to training camp. Kinda like holding a picnic without the food. But hey, if it’s the NFL in this country, we’ll obsess over it…
This is the NFL’s “dark period,” and the NFL should play it to the hilt. Sure, the NFL Network will continue to air programming, but how many Johnny Manziel or Michael Sam stories can you stomach? Lay low. Go about Business As Usual. Hold your OTA’s and team-building exercises, and hopefully, keep the bad stuff out of the media – which the Aaron Hernandez fiasco did not do a year ago. Keep the fans wanting more; just don’t give it to them right away. Didn’t your mother once tell you that too much ice cream would give you a stomach ache?
Unless you’re in Dallas…and Momma always said “don’t let your babies grow up to be Cowboys.” Linebacker Sean Lee ripped an ACL on the opening day of OTA’s for the Cowboys, and is likely gone for next season. Hey, at least it wasn’t Tony “Blame It On” Romo…
My buddy Statbeast sez he’s totally obsessed with all things NFL, much like his obsession with Star Wars. Left him Mrs. Statbeast almost did. Trade him for future considerations she will…
Boston gets hammered – and rightfully so – for its, um, indifference toward college sports and college athletics in general. But a Boston city councilman has stepped up to put the Hub in the spotlight over the past week…Councilor Josh Zakim has filed a couple of ordinances relating to the health and educational rights for athletes who play college sports in the city. Boston College, Boston University and Northeastern are the schools within the actual city borders that offer athletic scholarships, and among the new laws being considered are a 5th full year of institutional financial aid and comprehensive year-round health insurance for student-athletes. The State of Connecticut has also passed some portions of bills for athletes’ rights, as has California. Whaddaya think Providence and Rhode Island? Lead, follow or ignore?
Again, considering the money being generated through college athletics these days, the time has come to at least think about treating student-athletes (especially in revenue-generating sports) more as “contract employees.” This is at the heart of current changes being considered by the NCAA membership at the Division I level. If you still feel an athletic scholarship is enough compensation for a student-athlete who is responsible for his/her school generating millions, fine. But if it were YOU doing the generating of those dollars, and restricted from things like a part-time job or healthcare, methinks YOU would feel differently…
Get a clue…interesting piece from Myron Medcalf on ESPN.com this week about college basketball’s “bad jobs.” Before I read a word, schools like Boston College, Clemson and Rutgers immediately popped into my head…as programs with high expectations from fan bases that are largely delusional, because reality is a completely different story. BC is in a pro-dominated area, Clemson can’t compete with or beat Duke or UNC on a regular basis (if ever?), and Rutgers is…well…Rutgers. But I was surprised to see the author list Marquette as one of college hoops’ bad gigs. First of all, Medcalf says he’s from Milwaukee, yet also says the Golden Eagles play in the old US Cellular Arena – which is flat out wrong. MU plays in the Bradley Center, which may or may not be outdated, but also is home to the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks. Stupid is as stupid does…
I also don’t believe that any job that spends, per athlete, as much as Marquette does on its players is a “bad job.” MU’s basketball budget is the highest in the Big East. And while the TV contract with Fox Sports 1 pales in comparison to what football-factory schools might be getting from the authors’ four-letter network, the money that Marquette (and Providence, and the other basketball-centric schools) brings in is still a bit more than double what they had previously in the old Big East. Put that in your pipe and smoke it, Myron. And get back to Milwaukee every once in a while…or at least, do some research…
After the so-called Catholic 7 schools pulled out and took the Big East brand with them, the remaining schools formed the still-Providence-based American Athletic Conference just about a year ago. To say that the first year of league competition was successful qualifies as a huge understatement – UCF won the Fiesta Bowl, and UConn claimed BOTH men’s and women’s national basketball titles. League coaches and administrators met in Key Biscayne, FL this week to begin charting the future…a future that will include changes in NCAA governance, and how student-athletes are compensated. If the American wants to be considered a “power” conference at some point with the Big 10’s and the ACC’s – and last year was an unbelievable start toward that goal – keeping up with the Power 5 is important. And required…
Here’s the scary part…as the Power 5 (ACC, Big 10, Big 12, Pac-12, SEC) also hold spring meetings and consider the future, having autonomy over the rest of Division I and the ability to make decisions for themselves is decidedly on the front burner. Changes are expected to be approved by NCAA membership this August. And after these changes are made, what will be in place to keep the 65 programs (including Notre Dame) in line with new rules? Who will be the new sheriff in town? Doesn’t seem like much of a stretch to say to a gotta-have recruit “here’s a new car to go along with that $3K stipend we’re giving you…”
Of course, that practice is old hat. It’s been going on for years. In some places, where there’s a will, there’s a way. The difference here is that the NCAA will essentially be approving this new behavior, and because of the way recent scandals were mishandled (at Penn State, Miami) there doesn’t seem to be much of an appetite for engaging enforcement at major programs. The gap between the power conferences and schools, and the rest of DI membership – about 286 schools, give or take, including PC, URI, Bryant and Brown – will only grow wider…
Some of those 286, like those in the American…and potentially those in the Big East…will decide to go along for the roller coaster ride into the money pit. They’ll have to…knowing that in order to compete for and win national championships in the future, the game has changed…
As the Friars consider a potential grad-student transfer (or two) to add to the roster for next season, the SEC is considering the same – as a league – at their meetings this week. Previously, the SEC had a rule against allowing grad students with one year of eligibility remaining to enroll at member schools…but because everyone else is doing it, they’re now going to jump into the deep end, apparently…
One of those grad students, apparently, will be 5th year senior Ted Bancroft. Good kid, great teammate. Awarded a scholarship for the first time last season, Bancroft will apply for a medical waiver in order to finish four full seasons of eligibility within five years. He broke his leg as a freshman, and played in only three games…
Wanna feel old, Friar fans? Billy Donovan turned 49 this week. And at the SEC meetings, he very much left the door open for a potential move from Gainesville, FL – even though he’s coached in college for 20 years, says he loves Florida, and has another team ready to win next year. There are five NBA jobs still open, and his tires have been kicked…
Does anyone realize how dominant Brown’s crew teams, men and women, are? The women are ranked 3rd nationally, and gunning for their 8th national title this weekend in Indiana. The men are ranked 4th, and finished #2 last year behind Washington. They’ll compete on Mercer Lake in New Jersey…
Say what you want to – and we often do – about the mega-monster that ESPN has become, but the man behind much of the success of the network(s) stepped away from the ledge this past week. George Bodenheimer officially retired May 31st after 33 years of leadership at ESPN, and he’ll be focusing his energies on growing and expanding the V Foundation for Cancer Research, started by the late Jim Valvano…
Another shining example of why countries like Pakistan will forever remain “third world” countries, despite some advances in technology and political process…
Speaking of barbaric…Jared Remy, for all of his obvious behavioral issues, did the right thing by pleading his guilt to the murder of Jennifer Martel this week, and sparing his and Martel’s family of an arduous, emotional and embarrassing trial. Remy also said in his statement to the court to “blame me for this, not my family.” Truer words have rarely been spoken…
I halfway expected to see snowflakes fall from the sky this week. Until I realized the calendar says June. When did the new Ice Age begin?
Too funny…Dan Patrick won election this week as the new Lt. Governor for Texas. That’s right. Dan Patrick. Oh, you didn’t know there were other Dan Patrick’s out there besides the one who used to host SportsCenter, currently hosts Football Night in America and has his own radio show? Apparently, some nitwit at a local CBS station in Texas got confused while Google-searching for a photo…
Noted author, poet and civil rights activist Maya Angelou passed away this week. She was 86. From among her best work and memorable quotes, this is one of my favorite lines - "I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel…"
Beaver Cleaver (jerrymathers.com)
And this absolute gem is so very, very true: "I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw something back…"
Saw him recently while flipping through the channels, but apparently, “Beaver Cleaver” (aka Jerry Mathers) is still very much into playing his iconic figure. As The Beaver on the hit series “Leave it to Beaver,” which ran from 1957 through 1963, he crawled into the hearts of American TV viewers. Through syndication – which is still running today after more than 50 years in the US and throughout the world – he’s become one of the most recognizable faces on the planet. People Magazine called him one of the most well-known individuals in television history. He’s branched out into Broadway, become a public speaker at conventions and charitable functions, and as someone who lives with Type 2 Diabetes, is very much into supporting diabetes awareness. “The Beav” turns 66 years old this week…
From the mailbag this week – Peter from Rhode Island via Twitter, in the aftermath of Josh Fortune’s apparent desire to transfer from PC: “He will regret this decision. Getting bad advice from someone.” Peter: I don’t disagree. But we all learn by doing things, some of them are smarter than others. Josh is a young man not yet 20 years old, and as I have parented my own kids, I’ve tried to guide them into making decisions for themselves – and stand by them. Sometimes they do, and sometimes…they choose poorly. We’re not living Josh’s life, so I wish him well. Just wish that he could see the bigger picture here. He’s leaving behind a team that could really use him, and understands him. The grass isn’t always greener on the other side…
Interested in having your questions on local RI sports (including the Patriots, Red Sox, Bruins and Celtics) answered in a somewhat timely fashion? Send ‘em to me! It’s your chance to “think out loud,” so send your questions and comments to jrooke@golocalprov.com. We’ll share mailbag comments/Facebook posts/Tweets right here! Follow me on Twitter, @jrbroadcaster…and on Facebook, www.facebook.com/john.rooke ...
Don’t forget to join us for GoLocal Sports on 103.7 FM, every Saturday from 7:00-9:00 am! Call in (401) 737-1287, or text us at 37937…and send email to the show - golocal@weei.com .
...Gotta Love FriarTown...
Stay Thirsty My Friends
He lives vicariously through himself.
Saturday, May 31, 2014
John Rooke, GoLocalProv Sports MINDSETTER
Thinking out loud…while wondering whatever happened to Jerry Mathers?
Tweet of the Week I – from @nypost: "Two jackasses got married in Italy Saturday..."
I’m quite certain the irony has set in with Sox fans by now…on the same day Boston lost its 10th straight game – the longest losing streak in 20 years – Josh Beckett threw his first career no-hitter for the Los Angeles Dodgers. That’s not irony. That’s just downright cruelty…
Piling on the hurt…Beckett tossed his no-no at 34 years of age, the oldest pitcher to throw a no-hitter since Randy Johnson threw one at age 40 in 2004…and Beckett had thrown just ONE complete game over the past FIVE YEARS before his performance against Philadelphia. Rumor has it that Jonathan Papelbon, the erstwhile Red Sox closer during Beckett’s tenure in Boston, offered to abandon his Phillies to close for his former teammate…if he needed it…
On top of that, Domino’s Pizza gave away 20,000 (yes, that’s TWENTY THOUSAND) free pizzas for their “DomiNoNo” promotion with MLB.com – and they’ll give away 20K more with the next no-hitter that is thrown this season. So there’s still hope for you, if you didn’t get in on this one. But don’t you think this would have been better served if Kentucky Fried Chicken and Bud Light had been the sponsors?
Speaking of Papelbon…it seems that noted Philly sports-antagonist Howard Eskin has gotten under his skin. Eskin has been critical of Papelbon ever since he arrived in Philly, and recently called into question Pap’s unavailability to pitch without being injured…going so far as to tweet Pap’s wife on whether or not he was hung over from an earlier night out with Jacoby Ellsbury. Papelbon and Eskin had to be separated last weekend in the Phillies’ clubhouse after exchanging opposing views…
Zen Question of the Week: Are the recent additions to the disabled list for the Red Sox because players are actually injured, or embarrassed?
Rumors, schmoomers…yes, the Red Sox need outfield help. Yes, it appears the Sox will still spend money to get it, but not overpay for it. Andre Ethier, who is still owed more than $50 million on his deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers, probably isn’t the answer as WEEI.com’s Rob Bradford reported this week. But someone to keep an eye on – Mookie Betts. The Double A Portland Sea Dog standout 2nd baseman has begun playing the outfield…since there’s an obvious road block to that spot in Boston. Don’t be surprised if (when) he arrives in Pawtucket to find him roaming center field, rather than patrolling the infield at 2B…
Where were you when the Sox won it all in ’04? With friends and family watching the whole, incredible thing go down…and running into the streets of Pawtucket screaming at the top of our lungs. The kids, that is. The kids were screaming at the top of their lungs, and we, as the adult role-model parents, tried to make them stop…but couldn’t…
Sure Theo…signing Manny Ramirez last week to a Triple A deal as a “player-coach” with the Iowa Cubs had nothing to do with being a PR move. If a 41-year-old player/coach can actually help you win games…or even improve your younger players (as Epstein says Manny has shown he wants to do)…what does that say about your organization overall? And starting at AAA? How about learning the ropes at the lesser levels, to start with…
First question out of Manny’s mouth when told he was back in baseball had to be “Where’s Iowa?” Just sayin’…
Manny Ramirez (ethicsalarms.com)
All joking aside…I kinda get why Theo is bringing him back/to Chicago. Ramirez was a great hitter, and maybe he can teach some positive things to Cubs’ prospects...not the negative ones. He’s low risk (low money on a coaching salary), high reward (if he’s successful). He was good for the Sox, for a time, and without his presence, we never would have had the chance this week to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the “moment we’re all waiting for…”
But did anyone else buy the Manny Redemption Tour thing? And a three-time suspended PED-user throwing out the first pitch Wednesday night over guys like Pedro, or Damon, or Keith Foulke? Or a cancer-stricken Curt Schilling? That was a blatant mistake by the Red Sox. It was all too staged for my liking…whether he’s “found God” or not. I am all for 2nd chances…but 4th, 5th or 6th chances? You’re on your own, pal. Actions speak louder than words, don’t they?
I’ll give him credit, though. He played it to the hilt. He apologized, and fans love to forgive. He apologized to former Sox traveling secretary Jack McCormick, for throwing him down after not delivering on some game tickets back in 2008. McCormick was 64 at the time…only took him six years to apologize for throwing an older man to the ground. Yeah…that’s an MVP alright…
Gaunt, but gallant…Schilling’s return was striking, as his on-going battle with cancer was evident by his physical appearance. I know there are some in Rhode Island who might not wish him well because of his failed 38 Studios enterprise…but if you’re one of those, I hope you saw him at Fenway this week. You’ll think differently now, I’ll wager…
Tweet of the Week II – from @josecanseco: “I see today (last Monday) is 21st anniversary of the ball of my head game. Poor ball was never the same.” Neither were you, Jose. Neither were you…
Don’t you just hate ceremonial first-pitches? Especially when they’re really, really bad? Rapper 50 Cent (aka Curtis Jackson) had one last week for the Mets that was, um, not worth a plugged nickel…and decidedly Just a Lil Bit outside…
Adam Scott (mid-day.com)
No question about it…following the PGA Tour without Tiger is kinda like watching the Patriots play without Tom Brady. But I will say this – if you missed last weekend’s play on the tour, then you missed what a World #1 should do…and that’s hit big shots to win a tournament. Adam Scott did just that, in coming from behind to force a playoff and win at Colonial…
Scott now becomes the answer to a pretty good trivia question…so try this one on your golf buddies: Who is the only golfer to have won all four of the Texas PGA Tour stops in his career? Not Ben Hogan, not Byron Nelson. Not Palmer, Player, Nicklaus or Trevino. Adam Scott now has victories in Fort Worth (Colonial Crown Plaza Invitational), Dallas (Byron Nelson), Houston (Houston Open) and San Antonio (Texas Open)…
Had the chance to meet and interview Scott for the first time almost 10 years ago, at a charity event held at Ledgemont in Seekonk. Not only was the Australian poster boy polite and poised as a younger man (he’s 33 now), he spoke about his aspirations of becoming the best in the world someday. That day is here…and he’s well on his way toward becoming one of the planet’s most marketable sports personalities. His ascension will only help golf, not hurt it, with fans and TV viewership…
And a GREAT Indy 500 finish was pretty much ruined by some producer for ESPN/ABC deciding the human interest side of the story was more important than the actual race itself. Note to wanna-be producers…the game, the event – that’s still WHY you are there in the first place. Girlfriend reaction is secondary. With a race that was THAT close at the finish line, the 2nd closest finish in the history of the 500, I want to see ALL OF IT on my big screen. That is all…
I often find myself rooting for the story, rather than rooting for an individual or a team. Guess that’s just the old reporter in me. And it’s the reason I’m pulling for California Chrome at Belmont…1st Triple Crown winner in 36 years? That’s a story…
Au revoir, thanks for playing…Serena Williams, winner of 17 Grand Slam tennis tournaments and the defending champ at Roland Garros, was unceremoniously dumped in the 2nd round of the French Open this week, losing in a hardly-broke-a-sweat 6-2, 6-2 stunner to Garbine Muguruza of Spain. Losing two-and-two in a major? I sense boredom has set in. Sister Venus also lost in the 2nd round…perhaps the two sisters just got tired of facing each other, which they would have done had they won…
Muguruza had 66-1 odds, according to Oddschecker, of beating Williams in straight sets. Sure would have made a C-note happy…
Not for nuthin’…but the best part of the French Open thus far? Post-match interviews, in English. By reporters who don’t watch the matches. Here’s an example…
It was over before it started…New York is now OUT of the running for making a bid at the 2024 Olympic Games, according to Mayor Bill de Blasio’s office in a Wall Street Journal report. Governor Andrew Cuomo was doing all of the assessing, but the city wanted no part of it. Neither does Philadelphia, either. Boston, apparently, still does…
Potential host cities for the 2022 Winter Olympics are dropping like flies. Why? After Sochi, Russia’s 50-billion dollar boondoggle, no city wants to take on the task of building facilities that will most likely go to waste once the Games have left town. And spend billions of dollars to bury themselves deeper in debt. The only two cities left in the running, right now, for 2022 – Almaty, Kazakhstan and Beijing, China…two cities where the public has no say in the decision…
How did the world get to this point? It all began right here, in the good ‘ol U.S. of A. The 1984 Summer Olympics (and I was there, working for the Olympic Committee) were such a first-time financial success under Peter Ueberroth that his template finally could not stand up to the weight of expectations elsewhere. Build it, the world will come. It’s true…and the sponsors will follow. That also happened. But Los Angeles also had quite a bit of infrastructure in place, unlike many cities that have followed…and the added construction expense coupled with shrinking interest and sponsor (and perhaps TV) dollars is now driving cities into debt, and driving the world away from the “honor” of being an Olympic host…
Honestly, how can anyone take “injury reports” seriously anymore? Serge Ibaka’s return for the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Playoffs cannot be understated – he’s flat out saved his teams’ Western Conference finals series with San Antonio – but wasn’t he supposed to be out for the year with a severely injured left calf? Puh-leeze. Guys will play when they want to play. Hurt or not. Period…
Tweet of the Week III – from @fact: “Chocolate, sex and laughter are all key to a healthy brain.” I need to stop denying myself a healthy head…
I’m all giddy with delight…OTA’s have started (insert sarcasm font here)! The media horde followed a few Patriots to area schools this week as the team promoted the NFL’s “Play 60” initiative with kids…and the best questions came from some of those kids: “What would you be if you weren’t a football player?” And – “do you have any stuffed animals?”
Seriously…Organized Team Activities in the NFL are nothing much more than a chance for players to get acquainted, maybe run through the playbook, and for coaches to assess personnel prior to training camp. Kinda like holding a picnic without the food. But hey, if it’s the NFL in this country, we’ll obsess over it…
This is the NFL’s “dark period,” and the NFL should play it to the hilt. Sure, the NFL Network will continue to air programming, but how many Johnny Manziel or Michael Sam stories can you stomach? Lay low. Go about Business As Usual. Hold your OTA’s and team-building exercises, and hopefully, keep the bad stuff out of the media – which the Aaron Hernandez fiasco did not do a year ago. Keep the fans wanting more; just don’t give it to them right away. Didn’t your mother once tell you that too much ice cream would give you a stomach ache?
Unless you’re in Dallas…and Momma always said “don’t let your babies grow up to be Cowboys.” Linebacker Sean Lee ripped an ACL on the opening day of OTA’s for the Cowboys, and is likely gone for next season. Hey, at least it wasn’t Tony “Blame It On” Romo…
My buddy Statbeast sez he’s totally obsessed with all things NFL, much like his obsession with Star Wars. Left him Mrs. Statbeast almost did. Trade him for future considerations she will…
Boston gets hammered – and rightfully so – for its, um, indifference toward college sports and college athletics in general. But a Boston city councilman has stepped up to put the Hub in the spotlight over the past week…Councilor Josh Zakim has filed a couple of ordinances relating to the health and educational rights for athletes who play college sports in the city. Boston College, Boston University and Northeastern are the schools within the actual city borders that offer athletic scholarships, and among the new laws being considered are a 5th full year of institutional financial aid and comprehensive year-round health insurance for student-athletes. The State of Connecticut has also passed some portions of bills for athletes’ rights, as has California. Whaddaya think Providence and Rhode Island? Lead, follow or ignore?
Again, considering the money being generated through college athletics these days, the time has come to at least think about treating student-athletes (especially in revenue-generating sports) more as “contract employees.” This is at the heart of current changes being considered by the NCAA membership at the Division I level. If you still feel an athletic scholarship is enough compensation for a student-athlete who is responsible for his/her school generating millions, fine. But if it were YOU doing the generating of those dollars, and restricted from things like a part-time job or healthcare, methinks YOU would feel differently…
Get a clue…interesting piece from Myron Medcalf on ESPN.com this week about college basketball’s “bad jobs.” Before I read a word, schools like Boston College, Clemson and Rutgers immediately popped into my head…as programs with high expectations from fan bases that are largely delusional, because reality is a completely different story. BC is in a pro-dominated area, Clemson can’t compete with or beat Duke or UNC on a regular basis (if ever?), and Rutgers is…well…Rutgers. But I was surprised to see the author list Marquette as one of college hoops’ bad gigs. First of all, Medcalf says he’s from Milwaukee, yet also says the Golden Eagles play in the old US Cellular Arena – which is flat out wrong. MU plays in the Bradley Center, which may or may not be outdated, but also is home to the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks. Stupid is as stupid does…
I also don’t believe that any job that spends, per athlete, as much as Marquette does on its players is a “bad job.” MU’s basketball budget is the highest in the Big East. And while the TV contract with Fox Sports 1 pales in comparison to what football-factory schools might be getting from the authors’ four-letter network, the money that Marquette (and Providence, and the other basketball-centric schools) brings in is still a bit more than double what they had previously in the old Big East. Put that in your pipe and smoke it, Myron. And get back to Milwaukee every once in a while…or at least, do some research…
After the so-called Catholic 7 schools pulled out and took the Big East brand with them, the remaining schools formed the still-Providence-based American Athletic Conference just about a year ago. To say that the first year of league competition was successful qualifies as a huge understatement – UCF won the Fiesta Bowl, and UConn claimed BOTH men’s and women’s national basketball titles. League coaches and administrators met in Key Biscayne, FL this week to begin charting the future…a future that will include changes in NCAA governance, and how student-athletes are compensated. If the American wants to be considered a “power” conference at some point with the Big 10’s and the ACC’s – and last year was an unbelievable start toward that goal – keeping up with the Power 5 is important. And required…
Here’s the scary part…as the Power 5 (ACC, Big 10, Big 12, Pac-12, SEC) also hold spring meetings and consider the future, having autonomy over the rest of Division I and the ability to make decisions for themselves is decidedly on the front burner. Changes are expected to be approved by NCAA membership this August. And after these changes are made, what will be in place to keep the 65 programs (including Notre Dame) in line with new rules? Who will be the new sheriff in town? Doesn’t seem like much of a stretch to say to a gotta-have recruit “here’s a new car to go along with that $3K stipend we’re giving you…”
Of course, that practice is old hat. It’s been going on for years. In some places, where there’s a will, there’s a way. The difference here is that the NCAA will essentially be approving this new behavior, and because of the way recent scandals were mishandled (at Penn State, Miami) there doesn’t seem to be much of an appetite for engaging enforcement at major programs. The gap between the power conferences and schools, and the rest of DI membership – about 286 schools, give or take, including PC, URI, Bryant and Brown – will only grow wider…
Some of those 286, like those in the American…and potentially those in the Big East…will decide to go along for the roller coaster ride into the money pit. They’ll have to…knowing that in order to compete for and win national championships in the future, the game has changed…
As the Friars consider a potential grad-student transfer (or two) to add to the roster for next season, the SEC is considering the same – as a league – at their meetings this week. Previously, the SEC had a rule against allowing grad students with one year of eligibility remaining to enroll at member schools…but because everyone else is doing it, they’re now going to jump into the deep end, apparently…
One of those grad students, apparently, will be 5th year senior Ted Bancroft. Good kid, great teammate. Awarded a scholarship for the first time last season, Bancroft will apply for a medical waiver in order to finish four full seasons of eligibility within five years. He broke his leg as a freshman, and played in only three games…
Wanna feel old, Friar fans? Billy Donovan turned 49 this week. And at the SEC meetings, he very much left the door open for a potential move from Gainesville, FL – even though he’s coached in college for 20 years, says he loves Florida, and has another team ready to win next year. There are five NBA jobs still open, and his tires have been kicked…
Does anyone realize how dominant Brown’s crew teams, men and women, are? The women are ranked 3rd nationally, and gunning for their 8th national title this weekend in Indiana. The men are ranked 4th, and finished #2 last year behind Washington. They’ll compete on Mercer Lake in New Jersey…
Say what you want to – and we often do – about the mega-monster that ESPN has become, but the man behind much of the success of the network(s) stepped away from the ledge this past week. George Bodenheimer officially retired May 31st after 33 years of leadership at ESPN, and he’ll be focusing his energies on growing and expanding the V Foundation for Cancer Research, started by the late Jim Valvano…
Another shining example of why countries like Pakistan will forever remain “third world” countries, despite some advances in technology and political process…
Speaking of barbaric…Jared Remy, for all of his obvious behavioral issues, did the right thing by pleading his guilt to the murder of Jennifer Martel this week, and sparing his and Martel’s family of an arduous, emotional and embarrassing trial. Remy also said in his statement to the court to “blame me for this, not my family.” Truer words have rarely been spoken…
I halfway expected to see snowflakes fall from the sky this week. Until I realized the calendar says June. When did the new Ice Age begin?
Too funny…Dan Patrick won election this week as the new Lt. Governor for Texas. That’s right. Dan Patrick. Oh, you didn’t know there were other Dan Patrick’s out there besides the one who used to host SportsCenter, currently hosts Football Night in America and has his own radio show? Apparently, some nitwit at a local CBS station in Texas got confused while Google-searching for a photo…
Noted author, poet and civil rights activist Maya Angelou passed away this week. She was 86. From among her best work and memorable quotes, this is one of my favorite lines - "I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel…"
Beaver Cleaver (jerrymathers.com)
And this absolute gem is so very, very true: "I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw something back…"
Saw him recently while flipping through the channels, but apparently, “Beaver Cleaver” (aka Jerry Mathers) is still very much into playing his iconic figure. As The Beaver on the hit series “Leave it to Beaver,” which ran from 1957 through 1963, he crawled into the hearts of American TV viewers. Through syndication – which is still running today after more than 50 years in the US and throughout the world – he’s become one of the most recognizable faces on the planet. People Magazine called him one of the most well-known individuals in television history. He’s branched out into Broadway, become a public speaker at conventions and charitable functions, and as someone who lives with Type 2 Diabetes, is very much into supporting diabetes awareness. “The Beav” turns 66 years old this week…
From the mailbag this week – Peter from Rhode Island via Twitter, in the aftermath of Josh Fortune’s apparent desire to transfer from PC: “He will regret this decision. Getting bad advice from someone.” Peter: I don’t disagree. But we all learn by doing things, some of them are smarter than others. Josh is a young man not yet 20 years old, and as I have parented my own kids, I’ve tried to guide them into making decisions for themselves – and stand by them. Sometimes they do, and sometimes…they choose poorly. We’re not living Josh’s life, so I wish him well. Just wish that he could see the bigger picture here. He’s leaving behind a team that could really use him, and understands him. The grass isn’t always greener on the other side…
Interested in having your questions on local RI sports (including the Patriots, Red Sox, Bruins and Celtics) answered in a somewhat timely fashion? Send ‘em to me! It’s your chance to “think out loud,” so send your questions and comments to jrooke@golocalprov.com. We’ll share mailbag comments/Facebook posts/Tweets right here! Follow me on Twitter, @jrbroadcaster…and on Facebook, www.facebook.com/john.rooke ...
Don’t forget to join us for GoLocal Sports on 103.7 FM, every Saturday from 7:00-9:00 am! Call in (401) 737-1287, or text us at 37937…and send email to the show - golocal@weei.com .
...Gotta Love FriarTown...
Stay Thirsty My Friends
He lives vicariously through himself.