How many of you held your breath when Albert Haynesworth smushed Tom Brady in the first half of Friday night’s preseason game? If I were a Patriots fan, I’d have a nervous breakdown anytime a player not wearing red, white and blue came near Tommy Boy.
Stunningly, coach Bill Belichick was less than forthcoming about the nature of what the team called, a “sore shoulder.”
“He’s got some bumps and bruises just like everybody else who played in the game,” Belichick was quoted as saying.
While it might be easy for me to say, I wouldn’t get too worked up about Brady’s achy shoulder.
Sure, if it’s serious, it could affect Brady all season to the point that he can’t play at the level to which we’ve grown accustomed and another Pats’ season could be ruined.
My guess, and it’s only a guess, is that Brady won’t play in the final preseason game, but will be ship-shape for the season opener on Sept. 14 against the Bills.
Then again, with Belichick’s penchant for withholding information, one never knows.
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Friday, August 28, 2009
In the heat of the moment
David Jason Stinson, a first-year high school football coach in Kentucky, is facing two charges stemming from the death of 15-year-old Max Gilpin, a sophomore offensive lineman who collapsed and died three days later after a particularly brutal August practice.
Stinson, who begins his trial on Monday, faces a charge of reckless homicide in a case that many observers say could be the first time a coach has faced criminal charges in a player’s on-field death. A charge of first-degree wanton endangerment was added against the coach, who pushed about 100 players to run a series of sprints known as “gassers” until someone quit the team.
According to an Associated Press story, Stinson wasn’t pleased with the team’s attitude throughout that Aug. 11, 2008 practice, and told the players to start doing the gassers, which are 200-yard sprints from sideline to sideline. Accounts and details of the incident remain a bit gray, but Stinson’s players have come to their coach’s defense. Junior defensive back Justin Agrue told a detective that the 6-2, 220-pound Gilpin never asked for water during the gassers.
“If we really needed water, Stinson would’ve let us have water. He wouldn’t have denied his water to anybody,” Agrue said.
Parents who were on an adjacent field watching a soccer game saw it differently.
“That the coach was yelling that they were going to continue to run until somebody stopped,” Kathleen Smith of Louisville told police. “That you know, who was going to be the sacrificial lamb.”
Before practice started on the south Louisville football field, Stinson took temperature and humidity readings — 94 degrees, 26 percent humidity resulting in a heat index of 94. Hot, but not quite hot enough to kick in special state-mandated measures for football practice.
Kentucky State High School Athletic Association rules require shorter practices and more water breaks when the heat index — a combination of temperature and humidity — is 95 or higher.
After he collapsed and assistant coach Steve Deacon called 911, an ambulance took Gilpin to Kosair Children’s hospital in Louisville. Within three days, he died of multiple organ failure, sepsis and heat stroke. Medical examiners opted not to perform an autopsy.
This is a tough call, because all coaches want to get the best out of their kids. Pushing them is part of the job, but where is the line? At no point did Stinson, who was charged five months after Gilpin’s deadth, break any rules or mandates as far as the heat index. And with no autopsy performed, it’s tough to say whether or not Gilpin had some kind of heart condition.
No matter the outcome of the trial — although I’d be surprised if he’s found guilty — this should be an example to all coaches for all fall sports.
Stinson, who begins his trial on Monday, faces a charge of reckless homicide in a case that many observers say could be the first time a coach has faced criminal charges in a player’s on-field death. A charge of first-degree wanton endangerment was added against the coach, who pushed about 100 players to run a series of sprints known as “gassers” until someone quit the team.
According to an Associated Press story, Stinson wasn’t pleased with the team’s attitude throughout that Aug. 11, 2008 practice, and told the players to start doing the gassers, which are 200-yard sprints from sideline to sideline. Accounts and details of the incident remain a bit gray, but Stinson’s players have come to their coach’s defense. Junior defensive back Justin Agrue told a detective that the 6-2, 220-pound Gilpin never asked for water during the gassers.
“If we really needed water, Stinson would’ve let us have water. He wouldn’t have denied his water to anybody,” Agrue said.
Parents who were on an adjacent field watching a soccer game saw it differently.
“That the coach was yelling that they were going to continue to run until somebody stopped,” Kathleen Smith of Louisville told police. “That you know, who was going to be the sacrificial lamb.”
Before practice started on the south Louisville football field, Stinson took temperature and humidity readings — 94 degrees, 26 percent humidity resulting in a heat index of 94. Hot, but not quite hot enough to kick in special state-mandated measures for football practice.
Kentucky State High School Athletic Association rules require shorter practices and more water breaks when the heat index — a combination of temperature and humidity — is 95 or higher.
After he collapsed and assistant coach Steve Deacon called 911, an ambulance took Gilpin to Kosair Children’s hospital in Louisville. Within three days, he died of multiple organ failure, sepsis and heat stroke. Medical examiners opted not to perform an autopsy.
This is a tough call, because all coaches want to get the best out of their kids. Pushing them is part of the job, but where is the line? At no point did Stinson, who was charged five months after Gilpin’s deadth, break any rules or mandates as far as the heat index. And with no autopsy performed, it’s tough to say whether or not Gilpin had some kind of heart condition.
No matter the outcome of the trial — although I’d be surprised if he’s found guilty — this should be an example to all coaches for all fall sports.
Sick of Vick
Not since Brett Favre's first preseason game with the Minnesota Vikings (a week ago) has so much been made of such a mediocre quarterback performance.
Thursday night, Michael Vick completed 4 of 4 passes for 19 yards and rushed for 1 yard in the Eagles' preseason win over the Jaguars. I think I speak for most people outside of Philadelphia when I say: Who cares?
Look, I get that Vick is an intriguing story. He just got out of jail, and now he's back in football. Woo hoo. When Vick signed with the Eagles, it was a big deal and newsworthy. But Vick going 4-for-4 for 19 yards in a preseason game is not a big deal and it's only moderately newsworthy.
During Vick's time in prison, people seem to have forgotten that he wasn't that good of a quarterback before he got busted for his role in a dogfighting operation. His career passer rating is 75.7. By comparison, Donovan McNabb has a career 85.9 rating and, because I know you're dying to know, Tom Brady is a 92.9.
Vick has never thrown for more than 3,000 yards or 20 touchdowns. He has a crazy strong arm. But if he tried to knock a beer can off someone's head from 10 yards, he'd need multiple tries.
Vick had one really good year (2002), when he threw for 2,936 yards, 16 touchdowns and eight interceptions, and rushed for 777 yards and eight touchdowns. He also led the Falcons to a 27-7 win over the Packers at Lambeau Field in what was seen as a somewhat shocking upset. Despite four so-so seasons since, that seems to be the lingering perception of Vick.
Hopefully, Vick's game soon will rear its ugly head again and we'll all remember that he isn't, and never was, all that good.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Golf's playoff failure
Ask any avid golf fan who won last year’s Masters, or who secured the British Open championship, and you’ll likely get the correct answer.
Follow with his question: Who won the FedEx Cup? You might get met with a puzzled look. The PGA Tour playoffs, as they like to call it, began this morning in New Jersey with The Barclays, the first of four season-ending tournaments that are supposed to be golf’s version of the NFL playoffs.
Needless to say, it falls way short.
For me, and many other fans of the game, the season ends with the PGA Championship, the final major of the season. Sure, there’s $10 million up for grabs for the winner, but nobody cares about these tournaments, and the players are first in line.
Two years ago, when Tiger Woods won the initial FedEx Cup, he skipped the first tournament because he had such a huge lead. Last year, Vijay Singh, who missed the cuts at the British and PGA, won the first two events and only had two show up to win the Cup.
I understand that the guy who is playing the best golf at the end of the season – like the NFL playoffs – should leave with the top prize, but the PGA has missed the mark in its system.
That system has been tweaked again this year, with winning players getting five times as many points (2,500) as they would for a regular season win (500). The brass at the PGA is hoping people will finally start tuning in.
Follow with his question: Who won the FedEx Cup? You might get met with a puzzled look. The PGA Tour playoffs, as they like to call it, began this morning in New Jersey with The Barclays, the first of four season-ending tournaments that are supposed to be golf’s version of the NFL playoffs.
Needless to say, it falls way short.
For me, and many other fans of the game, the season ends with the PGA Championship, the final major of the season. Sure, there’s $10 million up for grabs for the winner, but nobody cares about these tournaments, and the players are first in line.
Two years ago, when Tiger Woods won the initial FedEx Cup, he skipped the first tournament because he had such a huge lead. Last year, Vijay Singh, who missed the cuts at the British and PGA, won the first two events and only had two show up to win the Cup.
I understand that the guy who is playing the best golf at the end of the season – like the NFL playoffs – should leave with the top prize, but the PGA has missed the mark in its system.
That system has been tweaked again this year, with winning players getting five times as many points (2,500) as they would for a regular season win (500). The brass at the PGA is hoping people will finally start tuning in.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
To sail or not to sail?
Laura Dekker, a 13-year-old from the Netherlands, wants to be the youngest person to sail solo around the world, and after a few long discussions, her parents finally gave her the OK. The only problem is the country’s government, namely the Dutch Council for Child Protection, is concerned about the well-being of the child and has asked a court to grant it temporary custody in an attempt to block her quest.
According to the story, judges at Utrecht District Court are to announce Friday whether they will deny Laura's plans. She would become the youngest person to sail solo around the world, breaking the record of Zac Sunderland, 17, who accomplished the feat last month.
In the meantime, the legal battle has sparked a debate about the role parents should play in dealing with their children's risky adventures.
I have no problem with kids seeking adventure, but as a parent, you have to draw a line somewhere. Her father, a highly trained sailor, and mother — who are divorced — both tried to discourage the teen before she won them over, which makes me wonder who's really making the decisions.
Laura's skills as a sailor, according to the story, are not in question; the concerns are the dangers that come with a 28,000-mile circumnavigation of the globe are the concerns. The trip means Laura would have to drop out of high school and teach herself while at sea or in port. Dutch authorities have to give permission for such a plan, but say such home schooling must be supervised by an adult.
The Guinness Book of World Records would not comment specifically on Laura’s case but said it stayed away from many such records. "(We have) a standard policy that does not sanction, endorse or encourage attempts by minors (people under the age of 16) on records which are dangerous or potentially life-threatening," Guinness spokesman Damian Field said.
Other attempts at being the youngest to accomplish a feat has ended in tragedy. In 1996, 7-year-old Jessica Dubroff died along with her father and a flight instructor when her plane crashed in Cheyenne, Wyoming, as she attempted to become the youngest person to fly coast-to-coast in the United States.
The National Transportation Safety Board concluded the crash occurred because the girl’s flight instructor took off in bad weather in a bid to keep up with "media commitments" about the record-breaking flight.
While I disapprove of the government intervening with this case, I’m not in favor of Dekker making this trip. Where does it end? Soon kids will be battling it out to see who’s the youngest person to do a solo skydive or bungee jump. The last thing I want to see is a 3-year-old performing a high-wire act.
According to the story, judges at Utrecht District Court are to announce Friday whether they will deny Laura's plans. She would become the youngest person to sail solo around the world, breaking the record of Zac Sunderland, 17, who accomplished the feat last month.
In the meantime, the legal battle has sparked a debate about the role parents should play in dealing with their children's risky adventures.
I have no problem with kids seeking adventure, but as a parent, you have to draw a line somewhere. Her father, a highly trained sailor, and mother — who are divorced — both tried to discourage the teen before she won them over, which makes me wonder who's really making the decisions.
Laura's skills as a sailor, according to the story, are not in question; the concerns are the dangers that come with a 28,000-mile circumnavigation of the globe are the concerns. The trip means Laura would have to drop out of high school and teach herself while at sea or in port. Dutch authorities have to give permission for such a plan, but say such home schooling must be supervised by an adult.
The Guinness Book of World Records would not comment specifically on Laura’s case but said it stayed away from many such records. "(We have) a standard policy that does not sanction, endorse or encourage attempts by minors (people under the age of 16) on records which are dangerous or potentially life-threatening," Guinness spokesman Damian Field said.
Other attempts at being the youngest to accomplish a feat has ended in tragedy. In 1996, 7-year-old Jessica Dubroff died along with her father and a flight instructor when her plane crashed in Cheyenne, Wyoming, as she attempted to become the youngest person to fly coast-to-coast in the United States.
The National Transportation Safety Board concluded the crash occurred because the girl’s flight instructor took off in bad weather in a bid to keep up with "media commitments" about the record-breaking flight.
While I disapprove of the government intervening with this case, I’m not in favor of Dekker making this trip. Where does it end? Soon kids will be battling it out to see who’s the youngest person to do a solo skydive or bungee jump. The last thing I want to see is a 3-year-old performing a high-wire act.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
What are we teaching our kids?
I was watching the Little League World Series (I know, I know, it's not that unbearable) and this came on. I stood in awe at this kid, and just how disrespectful he was. I mean, what kind of Little Leaguer says, "Is it all right if I just hit this next batter?"
The best part is that after he says he doesn't want to pitch anymore, he's completely stunned that he could be taken out of the game. If I were the coach, that kid's rump would have been firmly - and permanently - placed on the bench.
I understand that he's a kid, but where's he getting this kind of attitude? Parents? Maybe even major leaguers. A little sad if you ask me.
The best part is that after he says he doesn't want to pitch anymore, he's completely stunned that he could be taken out of the game. If I were the coach, that kid's rump would have been firmly - and permanently - placed on the bench.
I understand that he's a kid, but where's he getting this kind of attitude? Parents? Maybe even major leaguers. A little sad if you ask me.
The waiting is the hardest part
It’s probably safe to say that Tom Petty didn’t write his song, “The Waiting,” about the NFL. But the chorus to that song could not more accurately describe the feeling of most football fans at this time of year.
The waiting is the hardest part.
Preseason is fine for a while. It briefly quenches our thirst for NFL football that has been building since the end of the Super Bowl. But if the offseason is a marathon, preseason is a Dixie cup of Gatorade just before the finish line — it helps, but it’s not nearly enough.
I’m positively giddy about sitting in front of my TV for several hours watching countless games wearing my green and gold No. 80 jersey (soon to be replaced by a green and gold No. 12). Week 1 is 2½ weeks away. Football fans cannot subsist on preseason games alone — even though NFL Network is showing all the preseason games, either live or the next day, which is pretty awesome.
So many questions are waiting to be answered. Fantasy football nerds are chomping at the bit to begin agonizing over their weekly lineups. And, as if football season weren’t exciting enough, this will be a season in which we won’t have to listen to John Madden or Tony Kornheiser.
Could this be the greatest football season ever? We’ll find out, but not nearly soon enough.
The waiting is the hardest part.
Preseason is fine for a while. It briefly quenches our thirst for NFL football that has been building since the end of the Super Bowl. But if the offseason is a marathon, preseason is a Dixie cup of Gatorade just before the finish line — it helps, but it’s not nearly enough.
I’m positively giddy about sitting in front of my TV for several hours watching countless games wearing my green and gold No. 80 jersey (soon to be replaced by a green and gold No. 12). Week 1 is 2½ weeks away. Football fans cannot subsist on preseason games alone — even though NFL Network is showing all the preseason games, either live or the next day, which is pretty awesome.
So many questions are waiting to be answered. Fantasy football nerds are chomping at the bit to begin agonizing over their weekly lineups. And, as if football season weren’t exciting enough, this will be a season in which we won’t have to listen to John Madden or Tony Kornheiser.
Could this be the greatest football season ever? We’ll find out, but not nearly soon enough.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Parental control
Is there nothing more unbearable to watch than the Little League World Series? Don’t get me wrong, it must be an absolute thrill for the players, who never again will get this kind of an opportunity. But, truth be told, the biggest event in youth baseball is no longer about the players. It now centers on adults.
I was watching a game on Friday afternoon, the opening day of the tournament, when a kid hit a home run. No more than one minute later, a sideline reporter was interviewing the kid’s parents.
“What did you think of Little Johnny’s home run?” the reporter asked.
“It was great. He’s worked so hard all season, and we know he’d come through,” said Mommy, wearing an officially licensed Little League World Series Mid-Atlantic T-shirt.
Was that really necessary, I thought to myself? I understand these parents are likely living vicariously through their children, and they spend countless hours bussing their kids from game to game. But there's simply no need to interview them, or show them for that matter. It's not about them. And don't even get me started on the coaches who are miked up.
Part of the problem is ESPN — surprise, surprise — and its overwhelming coverage of the event. Back in my day (now that I’m 31, I feel as though I’m old enough to use that phrase), only the championship game of the LLWS was on television. That was until the late 1980s, when ABC and ESPN formed an alliance and the self-proclaimed World Wide Leader started to up its coverage. In 2006, 28 of the 36 games were televised on three networks, and nowadays — and through 2014, when ESPN’s contract with the LLWS ends — every game is televised.
All of this coverage and attention, albeit tons of fun for the players, can’t be good. They get this inflated feeling of self worth, so what happens next year, when they're playing Babe Ruth and get smacked around by players a bit older? Or how is Little Johnny going to feel the next time he hits a home run and no cameras are there to see it?
The Little League World Series used to be about kids from around the country and around the world coming together to celebrate the game of baseball. Now it’s about parents coming together to celebrate their children.
I was watching a game on Friday afternoon, the opening day of the tournament, when a kid hit a home run. No more than one minute later, a sideline reporter was interviewing the kid’s parents.
“What did you think of Little Johnny’s home run?” the reporter asked.
“It was great. He’s worked so hard all season, and we know he’d come through,” said Mommy, wearing an officially licensed Little League World Series Mid-Atlantic T-shirt.
Was that really necessary, I thought to myself? I understand these parents are likely living vicariously through their children, and they spend countless hours bussing their kids from game to game. But there's simply no need to interview them, or show them for that matter. It's not about them. And don't even get me started on the coaches who are miked up.
Part of the problem is ESPN — surprise, surprise — and its overwhelming coverage of the event. Back in my day (now that I’m 31, I feel as though I’m old enough to use that phrase), only the championship game of the LLWS was on television. That was until the late 1980s, when ABC and ESPN formed an alliance and the self-proclaimed World Wide Leader started to up its coverage. In 2006, 28 of the 36 games were televised on three networks, and nowadays — and through 2014, when ESPN’s contract with the LLWS ends — every game is televised.
All of this coverage and attention, albeit tons of fun for the players, can’t be good. They get this inflated feeling of self worth, so what happens next year, when they're playing Babe Ruth and get smacked around by players a bit older? Or how is Little Johnny going to feel the next time he hits a home run and no cameras are there to see it?
The Little League World Series used to be about kids from around the country and around the world coming together to celebrate the game of baseball. Now it’s about parents coming together to celebrate their children.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Cash money
Pat Cash is finding Newport to be his Titletown. The Australian defeatd Jim Courier for the second year in a row in the final of the Hall of Fame Champions Cup. And by an identical 6-3, 6-4 score. He took home $60,000 of the $150,000 purse.
In the third-place match, Todd Martin downed Mark Philippoussis 6-3, 6-7(4), 10-6. Pick up tomorrow's Daily News for a full recap.
In the third-place match, Todd Martin downed Mark Philippoussis 6-3, 6-7(4), 10-6. Pick up tomorrow's Daily News for a full recap.
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