Friday, May 22, 2009

Another QB in the news for all the wrong reasons

Apparently trying to grab his share of all the negative press surrounding current and former NFL quarterbacks, Ryan Leaf threw his hat into the ring this week when he was indicted on drug and burglary charges in Texas.

Both charges are the result of Leaf, one of the most titanic draft busts in NFL history, trying to get his hands on prescription painkillers.

Myriad jokes have been made at Leaf's expense over the years, and he certainly brought much of the ridicule on himself. The Chargers drafted him No. 2 overall, one spot behind Peyton Manning, and Leaf almost instantly began melting down. Aside from being the colossal disappointment drafted after Manning, the only thing anyone will remember about Leaf's NFL career (if you can call it that) is his profanity-laced tirade directed at a reporter in the locker room during his rookie season in 1998.

As much fun as it can be to make fun of pro athletes who make asses of themselves, it was good to see Leaf take steps toward getting his life back on track when he was hired as quarterbacks coach for West Texas A&M University's football program in 2006.

Now, it would be easy to make more jokes. (Why does Leaf need the painkillers? It's got to be excruciatingly painful for Chargers fans to think about what a disaster he was.)

But even the most cynical among us have to just plain feel bad for the guy at this point.

Thursday, May 21, 2009

The future of Michael Vick

All along, I’ve made it no secret that Michael Vick deserves a second chance in the NFL. On Wednesday morning, the former Atlanta Falcons quarter returned to his home in Hampton, Virginia, after serving a 19-month jail sentence for his role in a dogfighting operation.

I’ve said it before and I’ll said it again, in no way do I condone what Vick did. In all honesty, it makes me a little sick to actually see the dogs going at each other. But I do believe that the punishment should fit the crime.

There are those out there who believe Vick should never play in the NFL ever again, and would love to see him drift into obscurity. But let’s a look at a few celebrated players in the NFL, and ask yourself if there’s a double standard somewhere here.

Santonio Holmes, whose catch sealed Pittsburgh’s win in Super Bowl XLIII, was elevated to superstar status after being named MVP in the win over the Cardinals. Before the big catch, though, Holmes’ track record was a bit sketchy, including arrests for domestic violence, marijuana possession and disorderly conduct.

Speaking of the Cardinals, star wideout Larry Fitzgerald also was involved in a domestic violence incident, reportedly pulling the hair of his girlfriend and “tossing her around the room.”

Should we even start with the Cincinnati Bengals? Here are some of the highlights: vandalism, driving under the influence, domestic violence, burglary and concealed firearm.

Here's the part that gets me: People were shocked and appauled when they heard what Vick did, but it's just another day if a professional athlete is arrested for beating his wife or girlfriend. What does that say about this country as a whole?

Vick has served his time (more jail time than any of the above combined) and paid his debt to society, whatever that means. Whether or not he plays another snap in the NFL, his legacy is tarnished and he’ll be remembered only as the dog killer.

That, if you ask me, is punishment enough.

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Off the top rope ...

... comes World Wrestling Entertainment to lay the proverbial smackdown on the NBA.

By now, most of you probably are aware that the WWE and NBA had a scheduling conflict with Denver's Pepsi Center. The WWE was to host its Monday Night Raw show there on the same night as Game 4 of the Western Conference finals between the Lakers and Nuggets.

WWE chairman Vince McMahon, never one to hide his emotions and frequently one to sensationalize things (especially in front of a camera) went so far as to say Nuggets owner Stan Kroenke, "should be arrested for impersonating a good businessman, because he's not a good businessman."

With neither side seeming willing to back down, the Staples Center in L.A. stepped up and offered its building to the WWE on that night, and McMahon accepted.

I'm not a businessman, but if I were, I wouldn't cross McMahon. The man gets things done in the world of business. Not only that, but he's also been known to step in the ring and inflict copious amounts of pain on anyone who faces him.

Considering that, Kroenke got off easy.

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Division I playoffs need subtraction

Every high school athlete on every varsity team should have the opportunity to advance to a postseason for his or her chosen sport.

The key words in that sentence are “have the opportunity to.”

But in Rhode Island high school baseball, the mantra might as well be, “Playoffs for everyone!”
The regular season ends this week, and when the playoffs begin next week, 24 of the 28 teams in Division I — where Rogers, Middletown, Portsmouth and Tiverton reside — will be part of the postseason.

As of Tuesday, 13 Division I teams have winning records. Two teams are at .500 and one other could finish there.

For the mathematically challenged, that means no fewer than 12 teams with losing records will qualify for the double-elimination round of playoffs.

This is worse than the NHL or NBA.

Some may recall that the sheer absurdity of 86 percent of teams in the division reaching the postseason was a condition, of sorts, for many of the 12 teams moving up to the new and improved Division I. It was incentive for many teams, some of which were local, to join a much stronger division. They wanted to ensure that, despite the realignment, they would have the same chance (or close to it) of making the playoffs each year.

In that sense, the system works … because just about everyone gets in.

Occasionally, an underdog will go on an unthinkable postseason run and, perhaps, reach the regional finals. But more often than not, the teams who have struggled to win all season will encounter similar issues in the playoffs.

Not only does it plain not make sense for the playoffs to be so inclusive, how much fun can it be for the kids on those losing teams?

“Woo hoo! We made the playoffs!” Next thing they know, they’re getting whacked two straight games and the season is over.

Why prolong the agony of a losing season?

Monday, May 18, 2009

Hub crawl

With a little more than 10 minutes left, I knew it was over.

Magic forward Hedo Turkoglu drove to the hoop and was fouled, converting the 3-point play that put Orlando ahead 77-61. Sure, the Celtics had rallied from a similar deficit in Game 4, but they lacked the toughness to complete the same task.

Boston allowed the visiting Magic to shoot 51 percent from the field and 62 percent (13 for 21) from 3-point range. Orlando’s guards were able to get into the paint at will, which allowed for easy dunks for Dwight Howard.

There’s a good chance Boston was just out of gas, following a 7-game series with the Bulls that featured seven overtime sessions. Ray Allen came alive for the first time this series, scoring a team-high 23 points, but Paul Pierce disappeared and Kendrick Perkins’ shots, more of than not, found Howard’s right palm rather than the net.

Sans Kevin Garnett and Leon Powe, the Celtics had a good run and gave fans plenty of thrills. It makes you wonder, though, if this could be the beginning of the end for a team led by three aging stars?