A Supreme Court ruling concerning the NFL got very little press today, both on ESPN.com and on the online site of the New York Times.
But it drew my attention nonetheless.
The court ruled unanimously that the league is not a single entity but 32 separate businesses, and therefore cannot receive antitrust protection.
Now, I know very little about the law. That’s the domain of my wife and, more specifically in this case, my sister, who practices corporate law.
But I do know this: I’m getting very tired of seeing the NFL turn into the WWE or American Gladiators – a collection of trained warriors being divvied up under a single patriarch and told to go out and entertain the masses. Jerry Seinfeld once joked that all sports fans root for is laundry. I don’t think he had any idea how right he was.
In fact, the only things other than the uniforms that differentiate one NFL team from another anymore are the fans, by dint of the common culture they have from their shared geographic location.
And really, neither the fans nor the uniforms differ that much. Every NFL uniform now has the NFL shield – that’s fine; they all should bear the league’s shield. But do they have to bear it in exactly the same manner? “The shield must go on a small separate, white piece of fabric that connects the two sides of the V below the player’s neck, because that’s what an NFL uniform is mandated to be.” I’m paraphrasing the obvious.
Players, however, don’t play for the NFL. They play for the New York Giants (or whomever). Why should the Giants’ uniform conform to an exact style? Can’t they determine what their uniform should look like – and, more importantly for this court decision and for their business – who makes it?
I’ve been disgusted seeing EVERY team in the league mandated to put an identical “C” on the jerseys of their captains. Perhaps certain teams would like to decide for themselves that, “We’re football players, not hockey players. We don’t put a ‘C’ on the captain’s jersey.” Perhaps they would like to wear them but would prefer to determine for themselves what that “C” should look like. Maybe they don’t like having a “C” that looks like the one in the world “ALCOA.”
This is a trend that is making sports awfully bland. I know it’s not the most important consideration and hardly takes away from what was the best NCAA tournament I’ve ever seen, but the NCAA’s mandatory uniform floor being used in every venue removed the uniqueness of the arenas used. The people who traveled to, say, Syracuse should have been able to take with them the memory of their favorite team playing on “Jim Boeheim Court,” adorned in orange and a little blue. Instead, they remember the exact same wood-and-black monolith they saw on TV while watching other games.
The paranoia of sports leagues to control EVERYTHING is taking all the character out of the games we love. It’s enough to make me wish that Cubs fans would storm Wrigley Field by the thousands and knock those light stanchions from the roof and make that ballpark, once again, the true Friendly Confines – and, in doing so, raise a giant middle finger to Major League Baseball and to the Cubs’ ownership in a way that says, “We are the Cubs, and we don’t care about MLB’s prime-time TV ratings. We play our g**dam games in the g**dam daytime, because WE think that’s when baseball belongs.”
I hardly think Monday’s Supreme Court ruling is going to have anywhere near that dramatic an effect, and I think we’ve pretty much lost this battle against the devolution of sports into one big company. But if at least Eli Manning can take the sterile, corporate, ALCOA-looking logo off his chest, so he doesn’t look like he’s a business partner of the captain of the defense that’s trying to take his head off, it’s a step in the right direction.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Urban Meyer Is Sports' Latest Coward
I had a run-in with a high-school hockey coach 13 years ago. The coach was furious that I printed a quote from one of his alternate captains after the team's flat, losing performance in the first round of the state tournament.
I knew the player to be somewhat of a hothead, but he was, as a key player, a senior and a guy with an "A" on his sweater, a perfectly appropriate player for me to interview after the game. The player criticized two key coaching decisions. I thought one of his criticisms was dead-on, the other ill-considered. But that didn't matter. The young man had a right to his opinions, and I certainly had a right to print them.
The coach was upset, not just because I printed these quotes, but because I did not go to him for response to the player's comments. He had a right to be upset about that.
At the beginning of the following season, he refused to speak with me at all concerning the team, finally relenting after my editor spoke to him. Our relationship seemed uncomfortable after that, to me, that is, but he apparently got over it very quickly, telling a mutual friend that he had no problem with me, and later telling me what a good job he thought I did.
Incidentally, I did not think he was a very good coach, but I admired the fact that he was willing to listen to reason, and to get over one indiscretion by a journalist concerning an accurate quote.
I italicize the word "accurate" because there has been a flap today concerning another accurate quote from an athlete. Orlando Sentinel reporter Jeremy Fowler quoted Florida Gators receiver Deonte Thompson comparing Tim Tebow and his apparent successor, John Brantley. "You never know with Tim," Thompson said. "He can bolt. You'll think he's running, but then he'll just come up and pass it to you. You just have to be ready at all times. With Brantley, everything's with rhythm, time. Like, you know what I mean, a real quarterback."
That last part, "real quarterback," implies that Tebow is not a real quarterback. I don't care about the debate over what type of quarterback Tebow is. What I do care about is that Urban Meyer was angry enough about the quote that he threatened the reporter -- becoming just the next in a long line of sports figures to reveal himself as a bully, and, closely related, a coward.
Meyer seems to be upset for two reasons -- one, because the quote is insulting to his favorite player; or, at least it would be insulting to Tebow if it weren't clear to anyone with common sense that Thompson merely was drawing comparisons between the freelancing, running style of Tebow and the more traditional pocket passing of Brantley; and two -- because Thompson has apparently caught hell for the quote, likely from those without the aforementioned common sense.
But that's not Fowler's problem. Fowler's job is to report facts and back them up with accurate quotations. For those of us with common sense enough to know what Thompson meant, it was a great quote, the type of quote that let us football fans know exactly what this receiver felt about working with one quarterback after working with another.
It was a rare moment when an athlete, in an interview, actually SAID something!
And what does this reporter get for this insightful piece of writing? A threat from a gutless coach, who said, "If I were (Thompson's) father, we'd be going at it right now. Be very careful." And where did Meyer make this threat? In front of several of his assistants. Just like so many other sports figures, who threaten reporters in front of all their teammates. You never see a guy go to a newsroom and threaten a reporter. He might actually get his butt kicked.
ESPN's Michael Wilbon decried Meyer's actions on Pardon the Interruption, wondering if Meyer is going to threaten scouts and GMs who pass on Tebow in the draft. No. Of course he won't threaten them. They're usually former football players who just might give Meyer the beating he deserves. A reporter? Ah, just some skinny geek with a notebook who never played a sport.
Just once, I'd like to see one of these cowards take on the wrong reporter -- the one who actually moonlights as an MMA fighter -- and get a serious beating. I don't think that will change the fact that coaches think the press is supposed to be nothing but positive, but maybe it will tell them that it's time to show some guts. If you're so tough, try picking on someone your own size -- and without all your buddies backing you up.
I knew the player to be somewhat of a hothead, but he was, as a key player, a senior and a guy with an "A" on his sweater, a perfectly appropriate player for me to interview after the game. The player criticized two key coaching decisions. I thought one of his criticisms was dead-on, the other ill-considered. But that didn't matter. The young man had a right to his opinions, and I certainly had a right to print them.
The coach was upset, not just because I printed these quotes, but because I did not go to him for response to the player's comments. He had a right to be upset about that.
At the beginning of the following season, he refused to speak with me at all concerning the team, finally relenting after my editor spoke to him. Our relationship seemed uncomfortable after that, to me, that is, but he apparently got over it very quickly, telling a mutual friend that he had no problem with me, and later telling me what a good job he thought I did.
Incidentally, I did not think he was a very good coach, but I admired the fact that he was willing to listen to reason, and to get over one indiscretion by a journalist concerning an accurate quote.
I italicize the word "accurate" because there has been a flap today concerning another accurate quote from an athlete. Orlando Sentinel reporter Jeremy Fowler quoted Florida Gators receiver Deonte Thompson comparing Tim Tebow and his apparent successor, John Brantley. "You never know with Tim," Thompson said. "He can bolt. You'll think he's running, but then he'll just come up and pass it to you. You just have to be ready at all times. With Brantley, everything's with rhythm, time. Like, you know what I mean, a real quarterback."
That last part, "real quarterback," implies that Tebow is not a real quarterback. I don't care about the debate over what type of quarterback Tebow is. What I do care about is that Urban Meyer was angry enough about the quote that he threatened the reporter -- becoming just the next in a long line of sports figures to reveal himself as a bully, and, closely related, a coward.
Meyer seems to be upset for two reasons -- one, because the quote is insulting to his favorite player; or, at least it would be insulting to Tebow if it weren't clear to anyone with common sense that Thompson merely was drawing comparisons between the freelancing, running style of Tebow and the more traditional pocket passing of Brantley; and two -- because Thompson has apparently caught hell for the quote, likely from those without the aforementioned common sense.
But that's not Fowler's problem. Fowler's job is to report facts and back them up with accurate quotations. For those of us with common sense enough to know what Thompson meant, it was a great quote, the type of quote that let us football fans know exactly what this receiver felt about working with one quarterback after working with another.
It was a rare moment when an athlete, in an interview, actually SAID something!
And what does this reporter get for this insightful piece of writing? A threat from a gutless coach, who said, "If I were (Thompson's) father, we'd be going at it right now. Be very careful." And where did Meyer make this threat? In front of several of his assistants. Just like so many other sports figures, who threaten reporters in front of all their teammates. You never see a guy go to a newsroom and threaten a reporter. He might actually get his butt kicked.
ESPN's Michael Wilbon decried Meyer's actions on Pardon the Interruption, wondering if Meyer is going to threaten scouts and GMs who pass on Tebow in the draft. No. Of course he won't threaten them. They're usually former football players who just might give Meyer the beating he deserves. A reporter? Ah, just some skinny geek with a notebook who never played a sport.
Just once, I'd like to see one of these cowards take on the wrong reporter -- the one who actually moonlights as an MMA fighter -- and get a serious beating. I don't think that will change the fact that coaches think the press is supposed to be nothing but positive, but maybe it will tell them that it's time to show some guts. If you're so tough, try picking on someone your own size -- and without all your buddies backing you up.
Monday, March 15, 2010
SportsCenter is Bad for Children
OK, that's a little overly dramatic, but it scares me that a generation of future broadcasters is learning the trade by watching this crappy show.
I never really see any SC edition other than the weekday-morning shows, but I hope the people who host those other shows are better than the horrendous Josh Elliott. Last week I meant to blog something about his use of the term "missers" as the plural form of the word "mister." It isn't. The word is "messrs."
Today he showed the highlight of Kyle Singler of Duke crashing into ESPN sportscaster Dan Shulman (great play-by-play man, by the way) to save a loose ball (great play, by the way). And he identified Shulman as being "astride" Dick Vitale.
Please, readers, pick up a dictionary and look up the word astride. Quite a visual you will get of the working relationship of Messrs. Shulman and Vitale.
I'm fed up with the dorky, dippy Elliott. He is now in my crosshairs.
I have DirecTV, so I don't get to see NHL games on Versus, but I do see Versus hockey ads on the NHL network. Not good, boys. I'm actually pretty glad the NHL finds ways to keep most sports fans out. Thirty years I've been a hockey fan, and I'm glad that most people don't appreciate this great sport. It hasn't been corrupted by superstar cachet. I hope it never is.
So, Versus and NHL, please keep up the good work. Three closeups of Tim Thomas' face as we hear highlights of his saves -- all while he serves as Tukka Rask's backup. That's a fine ad campaign.
I never really see any SC edition other than the weekday-morning shows, but I hope the people who host those other shows are better than the horrendous Josh Elliott. Last week I meant to blog something about his use of the term "missers" as the plural form of the word "mister." It isn't. The word is "messrs."
Today he showed the highlight of Kyle Singler of Duke crashing into ESPN sportscaster Dan Shulman (great play-by-play man, by the way) to save a loose ball (great play, by the way). And he identified Shulman as being "astride" Dick Vitale.
Please, readers, pick up a dictionary and look up the word astride. Quite a visual you will get of the working relationship of Messrs. Shulman and Vitale.
I'm fed up with the dorky, dippy Elliott. He is now in my crosshairs.
I have DirecTV, so I don't get to see NHL games on Versus, but I do see Versus hockey ads on the NHL network. Not good, boys. I'm actually pretty glad the NHL finds ways to keep most sports fans out. Thirty years I've been a hockey fan, and I'm glad that most people don't appreciate this great sport. It hasn't been corrupted by superstar cachet. I hope it never is.
So, Versus and NHL, please keep up the good work. Three closeups of Tim Thomas' face as we hear highlights of his saves -- all while he serves as Tukka Rask's backup. That's a fine ad campaign.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Scoreless Duel -- Or Scoreless Dull?
Wow, let's just get to April and play some real baseball, because this isn't doing much for me, other than watching what the Florida wind can do to a baseball -- oh, and a nice pick by Nick Johnson. It'll be good to see him back at first base for the Yankees. Oh, wait, we already have a first baseman? I guess he'll DH. So much for leaving the DH role empty for our older position players such as Posada, et al. Needless to say, I'm not in love with the Yankees' off-season.
So let's talk hockey. Hockey? Yes, hockey. Specifically this: Will the buzz from the Olympics translate to an increase in interest in the NHL?
In a word, no. I don't know why Americans don't like hockey. I love hockey. I always have. It's not great on TV, but really, neither is baseball. And hockey in person is better than anything. It's beatiful. You think the sound of the crack of the bet is special when you're at a baseball game? It's nothing compared to the "clop" of a puck on a stick as a player receives a pass.
Hockey has given Americans plenty of opportunities to fall in love with it. The Miracle on Ice -- followed, you may remember, by the first of four straight Stanley Cups for the New York Islanders, won in sudden-death overtime. Gretzky's time in L.A., Lemieux's entire career in Pittsburgh, including back-to-back titles. The Rangers' breaking the Curse in 1994. Not to mention there was already a USA-Canada gold medal game in 2002, in this country!
It's not the lack of a good TV deal. The NHL was on ESPN for years. It helped, but hockey just never took hold. And let's put it this way: if football were on Versus, would the ratings suffer? Or would people complain for five minutes and then find out where Versus was? You bet they would.
Does interest in figure skating pick up after the Olympics? Seriously, does anyone watch the long program, or whatever it's called, and see some pixie win a gold medal, then make a commitment to go to more figure-skating performances? Or, for that matter, speed skating? Does anyone care about Apolo Ohno in a non-Olympic year?
I don't care about figure or speed skating even during the Olympics. For the 100 or so people who are interested in them all the time, I am missing out. That's how I feel about non-hockey fans. It's the best sport to watch, and I've been addicted to it since I was 8 years old. And it had nothing to do with the Miracle On Ice. It had to do with having a father who loved hockey and shared his passion for the sport with me.
So my kids will probably love hockey, too. Yours probably won't. It'll be their loss.
So let's talk hockey. Hockey? Yes, hockey. Specifically this: Will the buzz from the Olympics translate to an increase in interest in the NHL?
In a word, no. I don't know why Americans don't like hockey. I love hockey. I always have. It's not great on TV, but really, neither is baseball. And hockey in person is better than anything. It's beatiful. You think the sound of the crack of the bet is special when you're at a baseball game? It's nothing compared to the "clop" of a puck on a stick as a player receives a pass.
Hockey has given Americans plenty of opportunities to fall in love with it. The Miracle on Ice -- followed, you may remember, by the first of four straight Stanley Cups for the New York Islanders, won in sudden-death overtime. Gretzky's time in L.A., Lemieux's entire career in Pittsburgh, including back-to-back titles. The Rangers' breaking the Curse in 1994. Not to mention there was already a USA-Canada gold medal game in 2002, in this country!
It's not the lack of a good TV deal. The NHL was on ESPN for years. It helped, but hockey just never took hold. And let's put it this way: if football were on Versus, would the ratings suffer? Or would people complain for five minutes and then find out where Versus was? You bet they would.
Does interest in figure skating pick up after the Olympics? Seriously, does anyone watch the long program, or whatever it's called, and see some pixie win a gold medal, then make a commitment to go to more figure-skating performances? Or, for that matter, speed skating? Does anyone care about Apolo Ohno in a non-Olympic year?
I don't care about figure or speed skating even during the Olympics. For the 100 or so people who are interested in them all the time, I am missing out. That's how I feel about non-hockey fans. It's the best sport to watch, and I've been addicted to it since I was 8 years old. And it had nothing to do with the Miracle On Ice. It had to do with having a father who loved hockey and shared his passion for the sport with me.
So my kids will probably love hockey, too. Yours probably won't. It'll be their loss.
Balls and Beers
Mitre gets the Pirates to go 1-2-3. Then again, so could I. OK, that's a little harsh. I'm going to try to be nice to the Pirates for as long as I can, because I'm thinking of making multiple trips out there for games this year. I've never been to PNC Park but I hear it's one of the best ballparks there.
I have been to Citizens Bank Park in Philly, and I've long thought I could get into the Phillies as an NL team I could follow. I really like Philadelphia, and they have a great ballpark.
Alas, after 18 months of venom from Boston fans, I don't think I'm going to spend that much time around another angry fan base. Philly fans aren't the self-righteous clowns Boston fans are, but they more than rival the Beantowners in the anger department, and I'm not going to deal with that, especially the season after the Yankees have just vanquished the Phils in the World Series.
Meanwhile, I hadn't had much to write since the first, so I needed inspiration. So, I crack open a Yuengling and take one sip, and the ideas just start flowing. This one is a "Bock Beer," and the label features a goat and the words "Tastes Good." And it does. My initial reaction: what a weak slogan! But have you seen a Bud Light commercial lately? "Here We Go!"
They actually paid an ad exec to come up with "Here We Go"? I must be in the wrong business. I could have come up with that. That's even worse than "It's the Cola" and "The Strength to Be There." And ad people wonder why we all use our DVRs to skip commercials.
A-Rod fires to first to end the top of the fourth and jogs off the field with a smile on his face. Why is he smiling? Because at this time last year his mind was occupied with just about everything but baseball. Now, it's just baseball. Rodriguez will hear "STE-ROID" chants the rest of his career, but I everything has turned for him. He's about to put up a monster year. Count on it.
And here comes Jeter to the plate. Is there anything better than that?
I have been to Citizens Bank Park in Philly, and I've long thought I could get into the Phillies as an NL team I could follow. I really like Philadelphia, and they have a great ballpark.
Alas, after 18 months of venom from Boston fans, I don't think I'm going to spend that much time around another angry fan base. Philly fans aren't the self-righteous clowns Boston fans are, but they more than rival the Beantowners in the anger department, and I'm not going to deal with that, especially the season after the Yankees have just vanquished the Phils in the World Series.
Meanwhile, I hadn't had much to write since the first, so I needed inspiration. So, I crack open a Yuengling and take one sip, and the ideas just start flowing. This one is a "Bock Beer," and the label features a goat and the words "Tastes Good." And it does. My initial reaction: what a weak slogan! But have you seen a Bud Light commercial lately? "Here We Go!"
They actually paid an ad exec to come up with "Here We Go"? I must be in the wrong business. I could have come up with that. That's even worse than "It's the Cola" and "The Strength to Be There." And ad people wonder why we all use our DVRs to skip commercials.
A-Rod fires to first to end the top of the fourth and jogs off the field with a smile on his face. Why is he smiling? Because at this time last year his mind was occupied with just about everything but baseball. Now, it's just baseball. Rodriguez will hear "STE-ROID" chants the rest of his career, but I everything has turned for him. He's about to put up a monster year. Count on it.
And here comes Jeter to the plate. Is there anything better than that?
Welcome to the New Embassy!
That's right, New York sports fans, but the Embassy has moved. In fact, the whole need for an "embassy" may have disappeared with my move from Boston. Then again, probably not. While no place does "hate NY" quite like Boston, you must trust me when I tell you that Yankee-hating knows no boundaries.
So, my digs in Lancaster, Pa., will remain a safe haven for Yankee fans. Right now the location is my father-in-law's house. Ron is a huge Yankee fan who grew up in Jersey. He's got memorabilia and photos from the '50s and '60s Yankee teams all over his office. Mrs. Ambassador and I will be moving into a downtown apartment pretty soon.
But regardless of place, I will never stop following the hometown teams from the city of my birth.
And this year, the one that ends up being the subject of most of my ink is the defending World Champion!
So let's get going with a look at today's starter, Chad Gaudin, who is competing for the Yankees' fifth starter role, along with Sergio Mitre, Chan Ho Park, Alfredo Aceves and undoubtedly a few others, in addition to, of course, Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes.
I'd say it's safe to read into this that the Yankees, while they publicly proclaim that Joba and Hughes figure to be starters in the Yankees' long-term plans, have to be considering the possibility that both pitchers could be destined for the bullpen.
I'm a firm believer that the best case for both guys is that they succeed as starters, but it may be that it's not going to happen for either guy. Chamberlain, in particular, shows the widest gulf between what he can do as a starter and as a reliever. He has had a few bright spots as a starter, but mostly he has been a frustrating pitcher who has struggled to throw strikes. He's a good bet every time out to throw 105 pitches in five innings and guarantee a long night for the bullpen.
Yet it was only 2 1/2 years ago that Chamberlain came up from the minors and became, instantly, the best relief pitcher in baseball not named Rivera. We haven't seen that guy since the midge game in Cleveland. Then again, the Yankees have screwed around with Joba so much, he's never had a chance to simply go to the mound and throw fire.
I've long been a supporter of Joba being a starter, but I'm running out of patience for that, and I think Mariano Rivera's replacement might be there. Perhaps we should just turn Joba loose from the bullpen once and for all and stop trying to craft a starter out of him. He just might not be that guy.
Hughes, on the other hand, has really not shown yet that he can't be a starter, he just hasn't stayed healthy. In truth, his career is not that unlike Joba's, yet something about him just screams "starter." He was incredible in the eighth inning a year ago, but he just doesn't seem like a short reliever. He looks more like a craftsman than a brute.
Here's hoping Hughes can just stay healthy all spring and get a fair shake at winning the No. 5 starting job.
Meanwhile, no score end of the 1st. Maholm breezes through Jeter, Granderson and Teixeira, and Gaudin pitches around his own error and an infield hit.
Granderson now 0-1 against lefties this spring. New York writers sound alarm bells all over the city.
So, my digs in Lancaster, Pa., will remain a safe haven for Yankee fans. Right now the location is my father-in-law's house. Ron is a huge Yankee fan who grew up in Jersey. He's got memorabilia and photos from the '50s and '60s Yankee teams all over his office. Mrs. Ambassador and I will be moving into a downtown apartment pretty soon.
But regardless of place, I will never stop following the hometown teams from the city of my birth.
And this year, the one that ends up being the subject of most of my ink is the defending World Champion!
So let's get going with a look at today's starter, Chad Gaudin, who is competing for the Yankees' fifth starter role, along with Sergio Mitre, Chan Ho Park, Alfredo Aceves and undoubtedly a few others, in addition to, of course, Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes.
I'd say it's safe to read into this that the Yankees, while they publicly proclaim that Joba and Hughes figure to be starters in the Yankees' long-term plans, have to be considering the possibility that both pitchers could be destined for the bullpen.
I'm a firm believer that the best case for both guys is that they succeed as starters, but it may be that it's not going to happen for either guy. Chamberlain, in particular, shows the widest gulf between what he can do as a starter and as a reliever. He has had a few bright spots as a starter, but mostly he has been a frustrating pitcher who has struggled to throw strikes. He's a good bet every time out to throw 105 pitches in five innings and guarantee a long night for the bullpen.
Yet it was only 2 1/2 years ago that Chamberlain came up from the minors and became, instantly, the best relief pitcher in baseball not named Rivera. We haven't seen that guy since the midge game in Cleveland. Then again, the Yankees have screwed around with Joba so much, he's never had a chance to simply go to the mound and throw fire.
I've long been a supporter of Joba being a starter, but I'm running out of patience for that, and I think Mariano Rivera's replacement might be there. Perhaps we should just turn Joba loose from the bullpen once and for all and stop trying to craft a starter out of him. He just might not be that guy.
Hughes, on the other hand, has really not shown yet that he can't be a starter, he just hasn't stayed healthy. In truth, his career is not that unlike Joba's, yet something about him just screams "starter." He was incredible in the eighth inning a year ago, but he just doesn't seem like a short reliever. He looks more like a craftsman than a brute.
Here's hoping Hughes can just stay healthy all spring and get a fair shake at winning the No. 5 starting job.
Meanwhile, no score end of the 1st. Maholm breezes through Jeter, Granderson and Teixeira, and Gaudin pitches around his own error and an infield hit.
Granderson now 0-1 against lefties this spring. New York writers sound alarm bells all over the city.
Friday, January 22, 2010
Time to Start Writing, Again
I apologize to all my fans (yes, that's a joke) for the long silence from The Embassy. Winter is a crazy time, with a lot more broadcast work keeping me busy than in the rest of the year. In addition, I had a regular gig blogging the New York Football Chokers for NFL.com. Turned out to be somewhat of a bitch-fest, as the Giants gave us a lot more consternation than jubilation from mid-October on.
Tonight, however, I'm off from work and have an evening to kill. There also was a development in the New York sports world that compels a response from The Embassy. And with the Jets, the favorite team of the Ambassador's father, two days away from an AFC Championship Game, the Knicks playing Kobe Bryant's Lakers on national TV and Syracuse cruising along in what could become a special season, who would have thought that the inspiration for my long silence to end would come from one of the dullest New York franchises, the stuck-in-the-mud New York Rangers?
But I saw the video this morning on ESPN.com of Flyers' scumbag (redundant) Daniel Carcillo happily throwing potshots at the Rangers' nonconfrontational goal-scorer Marian Gaborik, followed by Sean Avery, whom I've lambasted in this space, making a point of going after and mixing it up with Carcillo, and, finally, Ranger coach John Tortorella making a bigger priority of embarrassing a reporter than of addressing all of the above.
I'll address this by grading each of the six particulars on their performances:
1) Carcillo -- C. I'm grading him on a curve. Sure, dropping the gloves with a smaller, finesse player who clearly has never had any interest in fighting is an F performance, but how can you blame Carcillo? Blaming a Philadelphia Flyer for being a cowardly bully is like locking a dog in a cage for a week with 20 rabid raccoons and then blaming him for having rabies. I credit Carcillo for not biting Gaborik.
2) Gaborik -- B. I admire Gaborik's fortitude in dropping the gloves with Carcillo, whom he had no chance of beating in a fight. All players end up in these little post-whistle scrapes around the net, the likes of which often end in fisticuffs but rarely involving guys like Gaborik. You could find plenty of footage of, say, Brian Leetch headlocking a forward who was jabbing away at a Ranger goalie a little too long after the whistle, but you wouldn't see him in a fight because guys like him and Gaborik are not looking to drop the gloves, and fighters usually respect that. Gaborik seemed to end up in a situation in which he could either turn his back on Carcillo or accept the challenge. Turning his back would have been a blow to his manhood, so fight he did. Gaborik does not get an A, however, because he could have gotten seriously hurt in a foolish endeavor, fighting a true goon. The Rangers' offense is anemic even with Gaborik. Without him, they may as well not even show up for their remaining games.
3) Daniel Girardi -- Incomplete. ESPN's Steve Berthiume and Matt Barnaby, a former pugilist for the Rangers and other teams, ripped Girardi, a good-sized defenseman, for standing by -- close by -- while Carcillo fought Gaborik. The way it sounds, Girardi let discretion be the better part of valor by not jumping in. Had he gone in, he would have been the third man in a fight, an infraction that carries an immediate major and game misconduct. That would have left the Rangers killing a 5-on-3 Flyer advantage for the moment and short a valuable defenseman for the game. Players of this generation all have seen Slap Shot, but they have grown up knowing that they can't join other players' fights. Jumping into this fight, however, also would have sent the message that the Rangers are willing to take severe penalties to stand up for their most critical player not named Lundqvist.
I'm not willing to fail Girardi right now, for two reasons. One: the ESPN video did not show Girardi. I've only heard people talk about what he did or didn't do. Two: Let's say his reticence was as bad as I'm hearing. I'm willing to wait a while to see how he performs in future tests of manhood. I'm sure he'll remember this and respond the way he should. One reader commented on Larry Brooks' story on this incident on the Web that all the Rangers probably hate Girardi now. That is foolish speculation, and I have a hard time believing it's true. Girardi has been their teammate for a long time. Gaborik is in his first year on the team. I doubt the men in that locker room are all ready to sever ties with a guy who has been their teammate for that long because of one incident in which he failed to stand up for a newer teammate -- if that even truly happened.
4) Sean Avery -- A. This grade is not an A+ only because Avery did not jump in and pound Carcillo while the fight with Gaborik was going on. Not that he could have. He was not involved. It's not a punishment for Avery. Just can't get the plus. But it's an A performance by Avery, not just going right after Carcillo but beating him decisively. So much of what Avery does drives me and many Ranger fans crazy, and he's a cheap-shot artist who deserves to be as hated as he is by fans of all the other teams. He is, however, a hell of a hockey player and a good fighter, and he stood up well for a teammate. Nothing more to say. Great job.
For all you roasting Girardi, by the way, I'd like you to imagine the following scenario: Avery, not Girardi, is standing near the Carcillo-Gaborik fight, jumps in, pounds Carcillo, takes the requisite penalties and gets tossed from the game, and the Flyers score during the ensuing 5-on-3. How many of you would have ripped Avery for hurting his team with foolish, immature penalties? Don't everyone raise their hands at once.
5) Larry Brooks -- B+. About the only thing I've ever liked about the Post has been its hockey coverage, thanks mostly to Brooks. And he stood up pretty well to Torts, who was acting in typical bully fashion -- more on this later. He could have done better, however, insisting, as I will shortly, that Torts answer the question and stop avoiding it with this other crap about not wanting to answer Brooks' questions.
As for the Brooks column that had Tortorella so upset, I haven't seen it. At least I don't think I have. I found, on the Post's Larry Brooks archive, one story from Jan. 1 insisting that Ranger GM Glen Sather admit his personnel mistakes by getting rid of Wade Redden, Michal Rozsival and Donald Brashear, another cowardly Flyer who just happens to be in the Rangers' employ; and another from mid-December that roasted Redden for whining about being a healthy scratch. Tortorella said Brooks wrote a sarcastic article. Brooks retorted, "It was funny." I'm pretty sure I didn't see this story. But Brooks has been covering the NHL with professionalism for a long time. I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt.
6) Tortorella -- F. Tortorella's failure is threefold. First, he danced around a very important question from Brooks about the most important moment of the hockey game. Brooks asked him whether a player -- implying Girardi, I assume -- should have entered the Gaborik fight as the third man. Tortorella responded by saying he would not answer questions from "you," talking to Brooks. No matter how big a problem Torts has with Brooks, he absolutely must answer that question, even if only with a "yes" or "no," though I expected a lot from Torts on this question.
Second, Torts' exchange with Brooks was completely gutless and bullying. "You probably got beat up at the bus stop." Tortorella is the one who sounded like the kid at the bus stop. Brooks responded to Torts like a man: "Are you challenging me?" He didn't try to escalate the situation, but he didn't try to defuse it, either. He really was looking to find out, face-to-face, in public, from Tortorella if the coach was indeed challenging him to a fight. Of course, Tortorella wasn't. Not because he wouldn't win. I'm sure he would. But because -- and we've seen this too many times -- he's another bully picking on the nerd with the notebook. He doesn't have to fight him if he can just embarrass him and make him cry "uncle." Just once, I'd love to see a writer -- the type coaches love to embarrass, the ones who didn't play the game -- shove a coach into a wall and then see if the coach continues essentially to call him a sissy in front of people and cameras.
Third: John Tortorella is in no position to be grandstanding with reporters. The media was pretty welcoming to him when he got this job after the firing of the classy and successful Tom Renney, who got the Rangers to the playoffs in each of his full seasons in New York after the team had not reached the playoffs in nine years and won a playoff series in his last two springs, something Tortorella could not do last April when spotted a three-games-to-one series lead. Tortorella's Rangers have seven fewer points in the standings through 54 games this season than Renney's Rangers had through the same number last year, despite the presence of the other-worldly talent of Gaborik.
I'm not saying Tortorella should fear for his job, or even agree with whatever Brooks wrote. I'm just saying a little humility might do him some good, especially in the face of good questions from good hockey writers. And if you've got a problem with Brooks, John, I'm guessing you'd have no trouble getting him on the phone. That's the venue to voice your displeasure.
Tonight, however, I'm off from work and have an evening to kill. There also was a development in the New York sports world that compels a response from The Embassy. And with the Jets, the favorite team of the Ambassador's father, two days away from an AFC Championship Game, the Knicks playing Kobe Bryant's Lakers on national TV and Syracuse cruising along in what could become a special season, who would have thought that the inspiration for my long silence to end would come from one of the dullest New York franchises, the stuck-in-the-mud New York Rangers?
But I saw the video this morning on ESPN.com of Flyers' scumbag (redundant) Daniel Carcillo happily throwing potshots at the Rangers' nonconfrontational goal-scorer Marian Gaborik, followed by Sean Avery, whom I've lambasted in this space, making a point of going after and mixing it up with Carcillo, and, finally, Ranger coach John Tortorella making a bigger priority of embarrassing a reporter than of addressing all of the above.
I'll address this by grading each of the six particulars on their performances:
1) Carcillo -- C. I'm grading him on a curve. Sure, dropping the gloves with a smaller, finesse player who clearly has never had any interest in fighting is an F performance, but how can you blame Carcillo? Blaming a Philadelphia Flyer for being a cowardly bully is like locking a dog in a cage for a week with 20 rabid raccoons and then blaming him for having rabies. I credit Carcillo for not biting Gaborik.
2) Gaborik -- B. I admire Gaborik's fortitude in dropping the gloves with Carcillo, whom he had no chance of beating in a fight. All players end up in these little post-whistle scrapes around the net, the likes of which often end in fisticuffs but rarely involving guys like Gaborik. You could find plenty of footage of, say, Brian Leetch headlocking a forward who was jabbing away at a Ranger goalie a little too long after the whistle, but you wouldn't see him in a fight because guys like him and Gaborik are not looking to drop the gloves, and fighters usually respect that. Gaborik seemed to end up in a situation in which he could either turn his back on Carcillo or accept the challenge. Turning his back would have been a blow to his manhood, so fight he did. Gaborik does not get an A, however, because he could have gotten seriously hurt in a foolish endeavor, fighting a true goon. The Rangers' offense is anemic even with Gaborik. Without him, they may as well not even show up for their remaining games.
3) Daniel Girardi -- Incomplete. ESPN's Steve Berthiume and Matt Barnaby, a former pugilist for the Rangers and other teams, ripped Girardi, a good-sized defenseman, for standing by -- close by -- while Carcillo fought Gaborik. The way it sounds, Girardi let discretion be the better part of valor by not jumping in. Had he gone in, he would have been the third man in a fight, an infraction that carries an immediate major and game misconduct. That would have left the Rangers killing a 5-on-3 Flyer advantage for the moment and short a valuable defenseman for the game. Players of this generation all have seen Slap Shot, but they have grown up knowing that they can't join other players' fights. Jumping into this fight, however, also would have sent the message that the Rangers are willing to take severe penalties to stand up for their most critical player not named Lundqvist.
I'm not willing to fail Girardi right now, for two reasons. One: the ESPN video did not show Girardi. I've only heard people talk about what he did or didn't do. Two: Let's say his reticence was as bad as I'm hearing. I'm willing to wait a while to see how he performs in future tests of manhood. I'm sure he'll remember this and respond the way he should. One reader commented on Larry Brooks' story on this incident on the Web that all the Rangers probably hate Girardi now. That is foolish speculation, and I have a hard time believing it's true. Girardi has been their teammate for a long time. Gaborik is in his first year on the team. I doubt the men in that locker room are all ready to sever ties with a guy who has been their teammate for that long because of one incident in which he failed to stand up for a newer teammate -- if that even truly happened.
4) Sean Avery -- A. This grade is not an A+ only because Avery did not jump in and pound Carcillo while the fight with Gaborik was going on. Not that he could have. He was not involved. It's not a punishment for Avery. Just can't get the plus. But it's an A performance by Avery, not just going right after Carcillo but beating him decisively. So much of what Avery does drives me and many Ranger fans crazy, and he's a cheap-shot artist who deserves to be as hated as he is by fans of all the other teams. He is, however, a hell of a hockey player and a good fighter, and he stood up well for a teammate. Nothing more to say. Great job.
For all you roasting Girardi, by the way, I'd like you to imagine the following scenario: Avery, not Girardi, is standing near the Carcillo-Gaborik fight, jumps in, pounds Carcillo, takes the requisite penalties and gets tossed from the game, and the Flyers score during the ensuing 5-on-3. How many of you would have ripped Avery for hurting his team with foolish, immature penalties? Don't everyone raise their hands at once.
5) Larry Brooks -- B+. About the only thing I've ever liked about the Post has been its hockey coverage, thanks mostly to Brooks. And he stood up pretty well to Torts, who was acting in typical bully fashion -- more on this later. He could have done better, however, insisting, as I will shortly, that Torts answer the question and stop avoiding it with this other crap about not wanting to answer Brooks' questions.
As for the Brooks column that had Tortorella so upset, I haven't seen it. At least I don't think I have. I found, on the Post's Larry Brooks archive, one story from Jan. 1 insisting that Ranger GM Glen Sather admit his personnel mistakes by getting rid of Wade Redden, Michal Rozsival and Donald Brashear, another cowardly Flyer who just happens to be in the Rangers' employ; and another from mid-December that roasted Redden for whining about being a healthy scratch. Tortorella said Brooks wrote a sarcastic article. Brooks retorted, "It was funny." I'm pretty sure I didn't see this story. But Brooks has been covering the NHL with professionalism for a long time. I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt.
6) Tortorella -- F. Tortorella's failure is threefold. First, he danced around a very important question from Brooks about the most important moment of the hockey game. Brooks asked him whether a player -- implying Girardi, I assume -- should have entered the Gaborik fight as the third man. Tortorella responded by saying he would not answer questions from "you," talking to Brooks. No matter how big a problem Torts has with Brooks, he absolutely must answer that question, even if only with a "yes" or "no," though I expected a lot from Torts on this question.
Second, Torts' exchange with Brooks was completely gutless and bullying. "You probably got beat up at the bus stop." Tortorella is the one who sounded like the kid at the bus stop. Brooks responded to Torts like a man: "Are you challenging me?" He didn't try to escalate the situation, but he didn't try to defuse it, either. He really was looking to find out, face-to-face, in public, from Tortorella if the coach was indeed challenging him to a fight. Of course, Tortorella wasn't. Not because he wouldn't win. I'm sure he would. But because -- and we've seen this too many times -- he's another bully picking on the nerd with the notebook. He doesn't have to fight him if he can just embarrass him and make him cry "uncle." Just once, I'd love to see a writer -- the type coaches love to embarrass, the ones who didn't play the game -- shove a coach into a wall and then see if the coach continues essentially to call him a sissy in front of people and cameras.
Third: John Tortorella is in no position to be grandstanding with reporters. The media was pretty welcoming to him when he got this job after the firing of the classy and successful Tom Renney, who got the Rangers to the playoffs in each of his full seasons in New York after the team had not reached the playoffs in nine years and won a playoff series in his last two springs, something Tortorella could not do last April when spotted a three-games-to-one series lead. Tortorella's Rangers have seven fewer points in the standings through 54 games this season than Renney's Rangers had through the same number last year, despite the presence of the other-worldly talent of Gaborik.
I'm not saying Tortorella should fear for his job, or even agree with whatever Brooks wrote. I'm just saying a little humility might do him some good, especially in the face of good questions from good hockey writers. And if you've got a problem with Brooks, John, I'm guessing you'd have no trouble getting him on the phone. That's the venue to voice your displeasure.
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