FORT WORTH — Students who had been planning to walk across the stage at graduation ceremonies this weekend were instead walking a picket line Thursday morning.
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Look closely at the sign the woman in the white shirt is holding. Any wonder why her kid is not walking?
Let me say this from the jump: I believe that Barry Bonds has taken steroids.
However, when he hits home run #756, he should get all the trappings of the home run champ should. Hank Aaron doesn't have to be there ... but Bud Selig does. The game should be stopped. His teammates should wait for him at home plate.
Are some of Bonds' 756 home runs tainted? Oh, I'm pretty sure they are. But what can you do right now? He's never failed a test.
We could always put an asterick by his record ... but why? Astericks only make people that love to say "yeah, but" feel better. Asterick or not, history will define Bonds more than any asterick ever could. If there was no asterick, don't you think that everyone would know that Bonds might have been a cheater?
To punish Bonds just because he has the record is hypocritical. After all, Raffy Palmeiro's 569 home runs have no asterick ... and he has tested positive for steroids. Mark McGwire, who has virtually the same cloud hovering over him, doesn't have an asterick by his 583 home runs. Sammy Sosa will hit his 600th dinger soon ... and there is no asterick by him. No astericks by Ken Caminiti's numbers [or MVP award]. Why should Bonds be the lone one with the asterick? Because he's on top?
The biggest scandal in baseball history ... the 1919 World Series that was won by the Reds because it was thrown by the White Sox ... has no asterick. Pete Rose and Shoeless Joe Jackson have no astericks anywhere near their names ... yet we all know what they've done.
By the way, if baseball truly wanted to place astericks by shaky numbers ... why not put 'em around Ted Williams and the other major league players who sacrificed their lives and career to serve this country in World War II? Williams' numbers could be up there with the Aaron's, Ruth's, Mays' and Bonds if he didn't take several years off in his prime to fight in wars. I think THOSE numbers need astericks to remind people the good.
And lest we remind you that 10 of the 16 players who have been caught with steroids have been pitchers.
Should we erase Bonds' numbers? If we do, then there will be a domino effect across baseball's record books. Do we start erasing all the runs scored by players who were on base during Bonds' homers? Do we go back and fix all the ERAs, walks, strikeouts and what not for all the pitchers who faced Bonds? Imean, the same 'roided Bonds that hit those home runs was the same one that drew the walks and struck out. How many Bonds HRs won games for the Giants? Should we go back and look at team's wins and losses and adjust the standings and playoffs?
The thing is you can't erase numbers. You can't make something that did happen go away because you don't want it. What you can do is let it be and pass the legend. Let Bonds pass Aaron ... and if you don't like it, tell your kids to tell their kids.
The fact that the number will be there is it's own asterick.
Here is the thing: Portland should use the #1 pick in the draft on Greg Oden. Case closed.
I don't care if they already have Raef LaFrentz and Joel Pryzbilla signed to expensive deals. I don't care if they drafted LaMarcus Aldridge last year. I don't care if Zach Randolph is their highest paid player. Draft Oden.
Just look at 1984.
In 1984, Houston had the #1 pick in the draft for the second straight season. The year before, they took Ralph Sampson [who was a god at Virginia] with that top pick. Yet, they went ahead and picked another center with the top pick in the '84 draft. That cat's name is Hakeem Olajawon. Olajawon brought two NBA titles to Houston and is a Hall of Famer. What's up with Ralph?
Again: 1984. With the #2 pick in the draft, the Portland Trailblazers drafted center Sam Bowie. They didn't want Michael Jordan because they drafted Clyde Drexler in the previous year's draft. That one really didn't work out for the Blazers.
It isn't just '84. Despite having a Hall of Fame center in David Robinson, the San Antonio Spurs drafted Tim Duncan with the top pick in 1997. Ask the Detroit Pistons if they would rather have drafted Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh or Dwyane Wade in 2003 ... instead of Darko Milicic [who isn't even on their team anymore]???
Draft the best guy on the board.
I love the NBA, but the 2006-2007 season has been a dud. And nothing points to that more than the fact that if you go to any sports website right now [Tuesday morning/afternoon], the front page story is the NBA Draft Lottery.
That's a coup of sorts for the NBA that has made an event out of nothing. But is it cool that all anyone wants to talk about is the Lottery and not the Spurs-Jazz game that comes on after it? The lottery is important. You can watch the Spurs [who won two lotteries that gave them two Hall of Famers and three NBA titles] and Cavaliers [who won the lottery that gave them LeBron James] this week ... or look to the future to see what team Greg Oden will be doing the same thing for.
Add to the fact that there is no NBA playoff game Wednesday night. Why? Oh, a little show called "American Idol" will be on. And not just any "Idol" ... but the last one of the season. LeBron James isn't bigger than that yet.
I hate the MVP award. It's too objective and the definition of the awards is different among every voter and fan in the world.
Dirk Nowitzki won the award this year ... then promptly was ousted of the playoffs by a team that won 25 less games than Dirk's team and qualified for the postseason on the last day of the regular season. Dirk was the best player of the best team in the regular season ... that's why he got the award. This isn't to say he didn't have a great season, just that he may not have been the most valuable.
Especially when the playoffs come around and he disappears. The award is for the season, but when the chips are down he wasn't there.
The guy who won the previous two awards [and finished 2nd to Dirk this year] is Steve Nash. In those three seasons, Nash hasn't sniffed the NBA Finals. This year, they guy many still felt should've won the MVP, had:
*a first team All-NBA center
*the winner of the Sixth Man award
*an All-Defensive first team player
*another NBA All Star
Yet, the "guy who makes everyone around him better" couldn't bring it home with those guys. And spare me the gripes that the Suns were robbed of Game 5 because of bogus suspensions of Stoudemire and Diaw [they both did break a rule]. MVPs elevate their games when the going gets tough. Just ask Magic, Jordan, Kareem, Bird and the rest of those multiple MVP award winners.
The award is a joke. I mean, how else do you explain that Shaquille O'Neal has just one MVP award in his career? Heck, how does Michael Jordan have just six? Or Wilt Chamberlain have just 4 awards? Kobe Bryant, whom many feel is the best player in the NBA, hasn't even come close to winning the award.
Why must we have an award to celebrate the person who had the most "valuable" season even though we can't figure out what's "valuable"??? Take Kobe off the Lakers ... and where are they? Check out how Steve Nash controls a game and his team ... and how about him? Or how Dirk Nowitzki is a matchup nightmare for anyone ... so it's him? Or how simply great that Tim Duncan plays the game ... so it's him?
Screw it. That's why we have the postseason ... where real legends are made.
Point #1: Amare Stoudamire and Boris Diaw should be suspended for one game for going out onto the court during that scuffle at the end of the Spurs-Suns playoff game. It is a rule that's been in place for some time; everyone knows it; and there has been precendence set [Knicks/Heat nearly a decade ago] that this rule still applies in the playoffs.
Point #2: There needs to be some common sense legislated into this rule.
Yes, I do believe the rule [well, it's intent] is justifiable. The intent is to confine any kind of altercations to the least amount of people possible. It tries to make small fights from spilling over into bigger ones. Does it work? Well, we have had that Pacers-Pistons brawl a few years ago ... but there isn't the on-court fighting like there was in the 1970s or 1980s.
Personally, I like the rule. I like smack talk and all of that, but I don't need fighting in the NBA.
However, the intent of the rule is to keep these fires from getting out of control, right? When Stoudamire and Diaw walked closer to the Nash/Horry/Bell mosh pit, they were pulled back and didn't do much more than just puff their chests out. That's the moment where emotion and reason meet and the intent of the rule is adhered to. I don't think either player reached that line ... that "point of no return". They walked up to it, but came back [albeit with a little help from coaches and teammates].
That's why I think the rule needs some updating. Bruce Bowen knees someone in the junk and nothing happens to him. There have been hard fouls all over the Warriors-Jazz series ... and nothing happens. But taking two/three steps toward a fight, then returning to the sideline and getting a one game suspension makes no sense to me.
I think that is where the intent of the rule is being compromised. What is to stop the Suns from telling Pat Burke [a little used player] from telling him to bait Tim Duncan or Manu Ginobili in a fight? Or even worse, knocking down Tony Parker and baiting Duncan to come off the bench in defense of his teammate. This series could get even uglier if Phoenix acts out on what they feel are slights against their team. Especially if the Suns feel desperate or the game gets out of hand. To me, if Stoudamire knew that taking a couple steps was going to get himself suspended ... he may as well got his money's worth and got into the ruckus.
Tweak the rule so there is some judgement in there. Look at the tapes of this occuring and if a player leaves the bench but quickly returns [without getting into the fray], turn the cheek. If the player comes onto the floor and in any way gets involved in the action going on ... yes, rip a game from him. If Stoudamire kept going over to the shoving match and (a) helped Nash up, (b) started shoving too or (c) just got in the way then he should be suspended.
If you've read SportzAssassin.com over the years ... you know how much I love when people who shouldn't be singing ........... are. Here is Mr. T singing to his mother and he thinks you should treat her right.
I pity the fool who doesn't!
Still ... it doesn't compare to the MOTHER of all videos. Here ya go:
I know that ACC's football expansion [and, don't kid yourselves - that's what it was] meant the league was kissing Florida's butt. Newbies Florida State and Miami were meant to pep up the league's standing in the nation. It has worked. Florida State gave us two National Champions and Miami gives us, well, the did give us a good look at it.
Well, the ACC decided to give Florida some love by staging the new ACC Championship Game in Jacksonville every year. More love was shown when they created divisions that would magically give us Florida State v Miami in those title tilts.
Well, a bunch of crap that was!
We've not see a Florida State/Miami matchup yet. In fact, Miami hasn't even made the game [FSU has once]. Instead, Jacksonville has played host to out of state teams mainly who get to travel to Florida TWICE in less than a month.
Yep, the winner of the ACC title game moves from Jacksonville to Miami to play in the Orange Bowl. The loser of the game get to go from Jacksonville to .... uh .... Jacksonville. Yeah. Lose the ACC Championship game, and you play in the Gator Bowl. So how great is it to ask fans to pay for two trips to J-ville in a matter of a month????
Move the freakin' game! Move it to Charlotte. Or Washington, DC. Or Tampa.
Atlanta is out of the question, because the SEC is pretty much keeping their title game there. Miami isn't a viable option since, well, the the winner then stays in Miami for the Orange Bowl. While Washington would be a nice gesture to Maryland and the two Virginia schools, would weather be an issue? That leaves Charlotte as the only non-Florida site [Tampa and Orlando are also interested].
Charlotte has been the the defacto capital of the ACC. Technically, it's Greensboro, NC ... but Charlotte acts as the ACC's "New York". It's in the center of the ACC, geographically, and while it is close to the four North Carolina schools there is no hometown hero there. The Meineke Bowl [which is played in Charlotte] does house an ACC team ... but that team wouldn't be competing in the ACC title game.
A smart move would be a rotation, with Jacksonville, Charlotte and Tampa in the mix.
Below is a list of Pros and Cons from Charlotte.com about each possible ACC title site:
PROS AND CONS
Breaking down the cities that will be asked to bid to host the ACC football championship games beginning in 2008:
CHARLOTTE: Has great stadium and is located at geographical center of ACC, but has cooler weather than Florida sites.
JACKSONVILLE: Municipally owned stadium allows big financial bid. Attendance was good in 2005 but lousy on a rainy day in 2006.
ORLANDO: Anticipated Citrus Bowl renovations make tourist haven a darkhorse -- until 2010, when renovations might be finished.
TAMPA: Has beautiful weather and an excellent stadium, but some ACC fans grumbled about being far from home during the 2007 men's basketball tournament there.
Last year, we had the unfortunate joke that saw the #6 Clippers have the home court advantage over the #3 Nuggets ... while the Memphis Grizzlies had the Western Conference's 4th best record, the #5 seed, and got to face the Mavericks in the first round.
Then, the second round saw the Spurs and Mavericks play ... the two best teams in the Western Conference. Not really fair.
Because of that, the NBA decided to revamp the playoff seeding proceedures to make the top four seeds be the three division winners and the second place team with the best record. Then, those teams will be seeded according to overall record.
Not bad. Except that we saw both #5 seeds have the home court edge over the #4 seeds [not that big of a deal] and we have a very ugly second round of the NBA playoffs.
Right now, there are two premiere playoff matchups and two duds. If you told me that the Pistons-Bulls was the Eastern Conference Finals and the Spurs-Suns were the Western Conference Finals ... we'd all understand. But they're not. That's the round before. We also get treated to the Cavs-Nets and Jazz-Warriors.
This lends advice to go three ways with this: just seed the teams 1-16 ... seed each conference 1-8 without using the division titles for anything ... or reseed between rounds.
These divisions are crap. It's meaningless. Right now, the Southeast [Heat], Atlantic [Raptors] and Southwest [Mavericks] champions are out of the playoffs. Why reward these teams with a better seed when it means nothing more than bracket placement?
Instead, just do what the NHL does and reseed between rounds. That way, the Spurs would play the Warriors, Suns play the Jazz, Pistons play the Nets and Bulls and Cavaliers go at it.
Josh Hamilton's stats in first series the Reds face a club this season:
15-43 .349 6 hr's
It took a long time, huh? (Pause for cheers). First of all, I would like to thank God for giving me the opportunity. I want to thank the Haas family, the Oakland organization, the city of Oakland, and all you beautiful fans for supporting me. (Pauses for cheers). Most of all, I'd like to thank my mom, my friends, and loved ones for their support. I want to give my appreciation to Tom Trebelhorn and the late Billy Martin. Billy Martin was a great manager. He was a great friend to me. I love you, Billy. I wish you were here. (Pauses for cheers). Lou Brock was the symbol of great base stealing. But today, I'm the greatest of all time. Thank you.
That was Rickey's speech after breaking Lou Brock's record for stolen bases in a career.
