Please, allow me to clean something up before I get into some sports stuff today; regarding my last post and me maybe coming off as ticked and/or defeated-if we're friends, all is good between us, really. I don't hold my friends to a scoreboard, and quite frankly despise those that do. If you're busy (and gee, why wouldn't you have your own life), I totally understand. It's part of friendship. This isn't jr. high where I see my friends all day, every day. I just got really tired of having my minimal expectations of other human beings get dismantled and being treated like a bum the last few weeks. And I thought of all the personal growth I've done in the last 5 years, and then questioned where it's taken me. And I've been a much better person, but at what cost? So then you get responses to what you write, and some are polite, some are concerned, some are selfish and some are even dismissive. To that I say it's cool. I'm glad I know that now, as opposed to knowing that later. Everyone has their own stuff, and after reading what I wrote, I hope no one thinks I was looking for a leg up on anything. Frustration is a not so funny thing. Maybe this is my outlet, maybe it will be something else. Right now, I really don't know. But I think it might be best if I keep the personal stuff out of this for awhile. I think I should stick to sports and maybe politics and entertainment (because they're both so dumb that they are interchangeable-at least to me they are). It might be best for all that read this.
What did Donovan Ever do to you?
Making fun of Philly fans is too easy. So let's get it out of the way-they booed Santa, they cheer for the Flyers, and they are like the only team/facility that has judge on site to deal with drunks and lewd behavior. Now that all that has been stated-why does the city hate Donovan McNabb so damn much? He got booed at the draft when the Eagles didn't take Ricky Williams. He's only been to the Pro Bowl 5 times. He's never had a running game to speak of, and was throwing to the likes of Freddie Mitchell and Hank Baskett for most of his career. Doesn't he deserve better? I say he does. Yes, I'm a Syracuse homer, and we share the same birthday, I admit all of it. Maybe that's why I defend McNabb. It has nothing to do with everyone who has to bring up the Rush Limbaugh 'incident'. All Limbaugh did was make a comment, no more ignorant than anything Michael Irvin, Tom Jackson or Mike Ditka has ever made. Numbers aren't everything in this argument. Do you know how many towns would kill for a guy with the kind of numbers and character that McNabb has? How about Cleveland? Think they'd like to go back to that 1999 draft and take him instead of Tim Couch? I do. Find a Browns fan and ask them. It just appears that the town of Philly has been complaining about McNabb forever, wanting him gone, and the Eagles are eager to oblige. And the Raiders are in the mix. Please don't do that to him. I was never thrilled when the Celtics told Robert Parish sionara, but I understood. And when he came back to the Garden we cheered-as a thank you. It will be the same thing that happens the first time Johnny Damon steps into the box as a Tiger (sorry, you know Sox fans can't really put their all into cheering for a Yankee, it's just not natural). I think if McNabb gets dealt Philly wouldn't cheer him on his return. They'd boo. And they'd forget all those crappy guys he had to throw to. He's had 2 seasons out of 10 that he's had real receivers, the TO year and this past season. How has that looked so far? I know that the Eagles have 3 QB's on the roster, and they can definitely trade McNabb....but trade him to San Francisco or Arizona, or Pittsburgh if Roethlisberger is really in trouble. But don't do him dirty by shipping him off to Oakland. That's just mean.
Rick Pitino will be getting an extension on his contract with the University of Louisville, and included in that extension is a $3.6 million loyalty bonus. Loyalty and Rick Pitino? Wonder what Mrs. Pitino thinks of that one, don't you?
So Colorado University decides to hike tuition 9% and on the same day announces that it will no longer be retaining the Women's basketball coach. Now I'm not sure where all this settlement comes from, if it's from a boosters coffer, the general student fund, or taxpayer money, but who is running the PR department up in Boulder? I'm not saying it is bad, just that it looks bad.
And this will tie in to Boston College in a second, I promise. BC was kind enough to fire Men's basketball coach Al Skinner, say nothing while 'letting' him look for another job, and then ceremoniously give him the boot. That last link is a lovely job of saying Al did a nice job, "BUT".
Now boys and girls is where I tie the two together with the same thread-they and their alumni think that they are better than they really are. And I can speak from experience. I've met BC grads, and they make me laugh. Same thing with CU alumni. CU fans have the same inferiority complex Red Sox fans used to have about the Yankees, yet it is with Nebraska. Or do I need to remind everyone of the lovely display during a game in Boulder the day after Thanksgiving a few years ago? But it's really not the fans fault. It's the Athletic Departments. CU lacks the facilities, at least in basketball they do. How does Texas Tech have a bigger gym than CU? Same thing in Chestnut Hill. Boston College switched from the Big East to the ACC, which makes no sense at all geographically, and Conte Forum holds like 5,000 students. Now, when ACC big boys Duke, UNC, Wake Forest (sometimes), Georgia Tech or Maryland show up, what happens? Same thing that happens in Boulder when Kansas shows up...it's like a damn reunion for the away team. Both AD's need to go back to the drawing board and figure some things out. Both have outstanding college football followings. And deservedly so. But I think if you want to compete with the Texas, Texas Tech, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, Nebraska, Miami, Florida State and Virginia Tech's of the college football world, something drastically needs to change, and it starts with the hiring practices and facilities. Don't believe me? Fine, my last example is what happened to Michigan State. Have you seen pictures of that place? And how's the economy been in Michigan? Worse than Boston and Boulder, I can assure you. And when it comes to basketball, maybe both need to start treating themselves like mid-majors in a major conference. I can't fathom why CU basketball shouldn't be killing the Big 12. They have an automatic advantage at home with the altitude change. BC wants to fire Al Skinner like there is some young coach out there dying to come there, like Al's time was nice and all, but it's closing time.
These two schools and the fans/organization in Philadelphia have me thinking of Cinderella's "Don't Know What You Got (Till It's Gone)" ringing in my head. Be careful what you wish for.
Ending on the high note
I'm not sure how much this has been played up in the 'major' media markets, but there was something HUGE that happened in baseball last week. Joe Mauer signed an 8 year extension with the Minnesota Twins. This is great news for Twins fans, for Minnesota and for baseball. Rumor has it that as a Red Sox fan I'm supposed to be upset by this news. Oh how wrong you are. This is awesome news. The Twins are opening a new facility this year, Target Field, and Mauer was a huge part of getting that approved. Folks in the Twin Cities wanted a new building to take their kids and watch the local boy make good. Seriously, everything you read about him is just too good to be true. He's from Minnesota, he talks weird (says the bald man from New England-g'head, laugh, that's just funny), he never turns down an autograph, I think he lives in a log cabin, he screams Minnesota. That guy should be on the visitors commission, like California has the Terminator begging people to come and bring in some cash to that state. I don't mind that the Sox or the Yankees don't get Mauer. It's good for baseball. I don't want the game to lose anymore fans because those two financial titans can buy whomever they want. Where's the fun in that? I like that Mauer will stay at home. And I'm kind of hoping LeBron James takes the hint over the summer...there's no place like home.
----------------
Now playing: Cage The Elephant - Aint No Rest For The Wicked
via FoxyTunes
No comments:
Post a Comment