Sports with Rocketman Zuck!

In the following commentary I will be addressing and article written by Yahoo! sports writer Dan Wetzel, entitled, “For the Cavs, LeBron’s Silence Speaks Loud Enough”. In case you haven’t heard the Cleveland Cavaliers were defeated in the Eastern Conference Finals by the Orlando Magic. So much for the theory that the NBA was trying to fix it so Kobe would face King James. I mean that was the dream matchup, wasn’t it?

In case you missed the conclusion of the game between Orlando and Cleveland, in which the Magic ousted the Cavs by a score of 103-90, the so called King Kames, quote, “was off the floor before the confetti could hit his shoulders”, unquote, for the Magic’s celebration of their first eastern conference title in 14 years. A bit odd for a guy who seems to be the last to leave the locker room ordinarily, but I guess it was for the Eastern Conference Title and a chance to play Kobe and the Lakers, so maybe one could understand. At least Wetzel thinks so

It is reported that James got dressed in the corner of the locker room, put on some oversized gold headphones and headed out the back of the Amway Arena and got on the team bus never to be heard from. He left it up to other players like Mo Williams to speak with the media concerning the loss and explain the early end to an otherwise fine season

Wetzel speculates or maybe attempts to justify why James behaved the way he did. Was his ultra-competitiveness overwhelming his emotions or sign of frustration with the front office? I don’t know and neither does anyone else, because James elected to take a quick, easy exit. Mo Williams on the other hand stepped up to speak and articulated that he understood James’ emotions and reaction, because they expected to be in the finals and he feels disappointed as well, but somehow, some way, Williams was able to muster up the strength to address the fans and the media, a pretty admirable and classy act, not to mention at the professional level, expected

As participants in sports, even as little kids, you experience the agony of defeat, to borrow a phrase, but we are taught that it is good sportsmanship to accept the loss, learn from it and of course congratulate the winning team. It is pretty much as fundamental as dribbling the basketball without walking, or proper form on a jump shot, but I guess this must have passed the King by.

With all of the corporate influence and marketing efforts behind today’s athletes, as fans we tend to see the image rather than the person, but with acts and moments like these we are often reminded they are all too much like us, fallible. But deep inside us, we all want to be inspired by something or someone that seems beyond our natural abilities, and all too often we are disappointed.  Without doubt LeBron James is a great basketball player, and seems like a great kid, however, there is no need to speculate why or make excuses for his actions, everyone who plays sports, is passionate about winning. I think I can help Mr. Wetzel in finding the answer for what caused James to act in this way, poor sportsmanship, simple enough.

So I would like to congratulate the Orlando Magic on the Eastern Conference Title on behalf of LeBron James and I would like to give an Honorable Mention to, the Cleveland Cavaliers, no I am sorry to LeBron James for the Bush League Title. I do agree with Wetzel on one point the headline, LeBron’s silence did speak loud enough, it just didn’t say the right thing.

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I am not sure I quite understand all the media coverage the release of former NFL star Quarterback Michael Vick is getting. However I do find it interesting on a few levels.

I am not sure how some people prioritize what causes they feel strongly about. For example some are still so aggravated they don’t want Vick out of jail, let alone be reinstated to the NFL. While I care for animals and don’t wish harm on any living thing, where are these same people when women get beaten, children go missing or when a person get killed. I mean aren’t we worth more than dogs or cats. Anyway I think so. Another thing, I am interested to see what Vick will indeed do. I mean he could be like Terrell Owens and simply hop from team to team, he could exhaust all of his chances like Pac Man Jones or he could be one of the first professional ball players to actually learn from his mistakes and make real changes.

Also, some animal rights groups want Vick to take a psychological test to prove he has indeed changed. I for one think this is insanity. I on some many levels this is dangerous. What test do you give someone for that, who determines the results and by what standard will he or someone else in the future be judged.

What I feel the most interesting is the same people who want Vick to stay incarcerated, wish not to see him reinstated and want him to show real change and compassion are exercising the utmost in hypocrisy. You want him to show remorse, compassion and caring, but you refuse to do the same for a fellow human being.

And lastly if Vick does get reinstated to play in the NFL which he should, I hope he plays a different position. He is one of the most naturally gifted athletes we have seen in sometime, but he is not an NFL quarterback. Remember Kordell Stewart, same story. Vick would be an incredible tailback or receiver, and as a fan I would love to see him utilize all of his God-given ability.

And probably most importantly I would like to see all of us exercise our God given sense and value all life, but human life above all else and give him a second chance just the same as we would afford each other.

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As you know by now Michael Vick was convicted of charges in regards to his participation in dog fighting. And while I find the whole situation revolting and it is hard to believe that people could be so cold as to hurt any animal, I simply don’t understand how Vick could be treated with such steel justice, but other of his contemporaries appear to go unpunished.

Vick is still being held in an Atlanta jail while the judge and his lawyers flesh out a viable plan for him to confront bankruptcy. Late last week Vick stated that his intentions were to deal with his financial obligations through playing football in the NFL. The judges disagreed, believing that reinstatement to the NFL may not be likely, and he needs find another plan. In addition, PETA wishes to utilize Vick as a spokesman against the unethical treatment of animals, but wants to ensure he is truly rehabilitated and they want him to have a brain scan to prove it. That is a whole other conversation.

The issue I can’t seem to understand is what about other players that are employed by the NFL, who have had trouble, and you know many of them by name. I would like to preface this opinion by stating I obviously don’t know them personally, but relying upon what is reported in the media, for all I know, they maybe great guys that have been misrepresented by the media, but why does the NFL have such a difficult time with handing out justice equally?

Is it because groups like PETA apply enough pressure to influence justice through strong belief and passion, or maybe as a society we have learned to devalue human beings to such a degree that the treatment of animals is a far more important issue than that of a fellow human being. I don’t know, maybe it is a little bit of both. But I do know this, that if a person, or player, in this instance, breaks the law or does something that show very questionable characterthat justice should be served equally without political pressure or preferential treatment no matter what the reason.

So let me say it with the conviction of a member of PETA, if a player takes steroids, beats a person, or even kills someone, follow the letter of the law and resist giving special treatment to other s and making one person a poster boy to ease your own guilt, appease a certain group or create an appearance of caring. Be consistent and put aside political and economical concerns to simply do the right thing.

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If you have never watched the NHL playoff, you are missing one of sport’s greatest spectacles

Spring is here and another baseball season is upon us, and you can feel the excitement in the air, but spring also means, that another sport namely hockey is gearing up for it second season within a season, better known to hockey fans as the playoffs. I know that hockey coverage gets a spot on the back of the sports page, if at all, but as a sports fan, if you let the media influence your viewing behavior, shame on you.

While baseball deals with its steroid scandals, and football has to cater to their prima donnas and players legal problems, hockey simply keeps rolling along. While the lack of media coverage, has kept the sport of hockey as in pristine condition as possible, the other side of coin, is many sports fans don’t know what they are missing, most especially when it comes to playoff time

Just to get you up to speed and to dispel a common rumor in hockey, every team doesn’t make the playoffs, the top eight teams in each conference do. While I have to admit, 16 total teams in the playoffs is a lot, it makes for the greatest playoffs in sports. And further more the past 6 weeks in the NHL regular season, you have had no less than 8 teams battling for the last few playoff spots, so every game has drama. So what does this add up to you may ask, 16 of the league’s top teams packed with the world’s greatest hockey talent, battle for almost 3 months to win the most coveted trophy in sports, the Stanley Cup. A team must win 3, best of seven series, just to have a chance to play for Lord Stanley. So a team must win a total of sixteen games to be called champ. It is unbelievably daunting task to say the least

Hockey for all intent and purposes plays for 9 months; it extends through the end of baseball season through the beginning and end of football and through the beginning of yet another baseball season. Yes hockey isn’t for weak minded conceded fools. It is for men who are passionate.

If you have never given the NHL a chance and I have heard all of the complaints, the puck is hard to see, I don’t know the rules, just to name a few, and want to witness some of the greatest most humble athletes in America battle for pride and love of a game, I beg you to give the first round of the NHL playoffs a chance, if after the first round of the playoffs you are still not a fan, feel free to go back to full counts, foul balls, crouch grabbing cheaters, criminals and court cases, as for me I will stick, no pun intended, to the absolute coolest game on earth, a game that real men play and real men watch, Hockey.

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Have you ever witnessed something and thought , you know, it supposed to be that way.

While watching Tiger Woods at Bay Hill for the second year in a row, on the 18thgreen no less, with winning at stake, stick a putt, I thought to myself, this guy was simply born to play golf. Not to minimize all of the other facets he possesses as a human being, like say being a good son, father and role model, because all of that does count, but the quite simply he is as perfect of a player as one can be. Some other names come to mind as well, like Michael Jordan, Wayne Gretzky, Dan Marino and of course Babe Ruth. I mean, I couldn’t picture these guys anywhere else on the face of the globe doing anything but what they were born to do. They were just the best at what they did, and they transcended there piers and even their time.

Probably, none more so, than Babe Ruth. I mean even today, among better pitching, and bigger, faster athletes, the Babe would still standout. He was not just ahead of his time, but he may not have even been from this planet, that is how different Babe Ruth was. There was nothing like him before, or since. That is, until Tiger Woods.

Especially taking into account the pressure of media and public scrutiny. In Babe’s day the media was hands off and the mere limits of the print and radio media really gave Babe a free pass in a variety of ways. But Tiger he is examined from every angle in every way, multimedia compounds that fact, and somehow not only is to withstand the magnifying glass, that burns so many of his contemporaries, it seems to energized him. The very thought of just the possibility of failure, inevitably pushes Tiger past normal human beings limits.

Very few human beings are blessed with the luxury of being able to do what that were created for, but for select few it does happen. And may I say and not in a shy way, to take a word from another great, Francis Albert, I am awfully glad that as an observer, I can witness the majesty of another’s talent on display, to say, ya know, that guy was born to do that. And that is inspiring.

While certainly arguments can be made for who was the greatest athlete of all-time., certainly, a case can be made for the aforementioned, especially taking into account the aspect of the variety of sport, individual as opposed to team, etc etc., but I think I can say in regards to taking the totality into account, Tiger Woods maybe the greatest athlete that has ever lived, at least I can say quite confidentially, he is certainly the best mental athlete. Well he certainly was born to play golf.

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The National Hockey League maybe the last place in professional sports for gentlemen, that is until one Russian player has become too Americanized.

Vince Lombardi was once quoted as saying, “Act like you been there before.”, in response to being asked about the celebratory nature of scoring a touchdown. That quote says as much about Lombardi as it does about that era in American sports.

It was the mid 1970’s when a small wide receiver with a propensity for celebrations garnered some attention after scoring touchdowns. His name was Billie “White Shoes” Johnson. He would hold the ball in the air and move his knees back and forth as to dance seems tame enough, but for its day it was pretty radical, most especially for a team sport.

In the NFL celebrations had become such a problem that league officials were forced to add rules to the book to restrict the type of celebrations that were allowed. Major league baseball isn’t without hot dogseither. Once when Deion Sanders hit a home run when playing for the Atlanta Braves, he stood in the batter box and tied his shoes while the ball sailed out of the park.

Well now it appears as if culture has effected even effected the most obscure of sports , Hockey. As you may well know the NHL has it problems in being considered part of the big four American sports along with Baseball, Football and Basketball. it seems as if Russian born player Alex Ovechklin has attended the T.O school of sports etiquette and has become Americanized. He has decided to get creative and preplan celebrations using his hockey stick.

Speaking as a rabid hockey fan, there is no room in the sport for that type of bush league celebrationWhile a spontaneous lift of both hands or a jump towards the glass and fans is widely accepted by players and fans alike, this preplanned production shows a lack of repsect toward the other team, his own teamates and more importantly the game of hockey.

The very thing that keeps hockey the coolest game on earth is that the American Culture hasn’t really influenced it ask any real hockey fan and they will say the same. Let hockey stay a distance forth in the American consciousness and let it remain a true man’s game. As for Ovechkin if he is seeking out yet another creative way to use his stick, I as a caring hockey fan have an idea and it starts by having Ovechkin bend over.

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When America seems to be on its proverbial knees in many ways, one would think we can turn to our favorite pastime, baseball.  Think again.

As you may well heard by now, on Saturday Team USA competed against Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic.  Well, I use the term competed lightly, very lightly.  They showed up, barely.  Team USA was defeated by the score of 11-1 in just seven innings, yup, just seven innings, thanks to 10 run-mercy rule.  Puerto Rico scored six runs in the first two innings in which U.S. starter Jake Peavy through 52 pitches.  Ouch!

It was rumored at the start of this year’s baseball classic that the USA had something to prove considering they finished sixth in the inaugural 2006 World Baseball Classic.  They were considered by many baseball experts to be contenders, however they face elimination today.

Operating under the premise of the infamous Howard Cosell, that quote, “Sports is human life in microcosm,” what then does the US defeat say about us as Americans?

Think back to 1980 when America was facing inflation, an energy crisis and The Cold War.  As Americans, we had a lot are reasons to be pessimistic and the uncertainty of a new president being sworn and was looming, the American consciousness was fragile it best.  Then a bunch of rag tag amateurs from the American heartland took to the ice in Lake Placid and won the gold medal in hockey and along the way defeated a Russian team that was “unbeatable.”  Instinctively, people knew that American spirit will still very much alive and well.  They helped inspire a nation, even if symbolically, to push past the adversitiy and sure enough America did have better days ahead.

Push ahead 28 years.  Given the current state of the American economy, our leadership in our decaying reputation overseas, if Cosell is indeed correct, I guess we may have trouble ahead.  We faced many of the same challenges now and somehow some way, if you think hard enough, you can’t help but feel that the 10 run-mercy rule being exercise thto save Team USA may be a sign.  Not too long ago would have been unthinkable that a team from America can be defeated let alone before regulation play was finished.  This is some distinct intangible difference between the kids in 1980 in the professional players of today as well as us as a people.

The question is where is the American spirit and more importantly American pride?  The answer is the American spiritr and our pride are being globalized just like America’s favorite pastime.  The game that we invented and perfected from a play standpoint and a corporate perspective is being pried from our tired, uninspired fingers for players and fans alike.  This simply a sign of the times.

Just as the gold medal in Lake Placid almost 30 years ago was symbolic of the days of lied ahead for America, so is the defeat of Team USA in the world baseball classic.  Unless we somehow remember what we loved about the game of baseball and unless we turn back from the moniker of “Change” and return to the fundamental values that made America the envy of the world, that voice you hear that is muttering, “Baseball, Apple pie and Chevrolet”, will slowly be drowned out by the shots and globalism. Ouch!

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Performance-enhancing substances have been found on drug paraphernalia allegedly used by former personal trainer Brian McNamee on Roger Clemens, according to a published report.

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Not a one can question the skills and abilities of Mr. Manny Ramirez.  His numbers, accomplishments and championships speak for themselves.  But not even that can hide the ugliness that has become “Manny”.  His lack of hustle, unappreciation, and hypochondriac behavior aren’t some of the traits an owner, manager and more importantly a fan would wish to have in a player.  Sadly, Ramirez had potential to be a great leader and one of the the greatest right-handed hitters in baseball history.  However, that will remain unrealized.  The best thing for the game and ultimately Ramirez, is for baseball the show him the proverbial door.  One in which Ramirez may learn a work ethic, appreciation for the skills and abilities that he’s been given, and to perform in the face of adversity.  As sports fans, and more particularly American sports fans, we tend to appreciate a player more, who makes the most of his abilities, rather than a naturally gifted athlete that takes them for granted.  Ramirez could have learned from another truly great Latin American player namely Roberto Clemente.  In many ways they were polar opposite, with the exception of their shared ability to imagine injury.  Clemente was unselfish, a hustler, and decided to make a difference despite the adversity of a language barrier and a foreign culture.  In fact, Clemente was once as why he would run so hard to catch a foul ball that was seemingly of no consequence to the outcome of the game, Clemente replied, “There may be someone in the stands has never seen me play before.”  I just wonder if Ramirez has ever pondered anyone outside of his own uniform, let alone consider anyone in the stands.  As the old mantra goes, it simply “Manny being Manny”.  In the event that the Los Angeles Dodgers say a well-deserve goodbye to Ramirez, it is my hope as a fan, that the rest of baseball would be bold enough to do the same.  Then maybe Manny could be Manny and baseball could be baseball.  In light of the steroid era it would be nice for baseball to consider its biggest asset, the fan.

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