There’s probably no city in the country with a professional sports franchise that holds a coach or manager so close to its heart as Arlington, Texas.
In Atlanta, you can criticize Bobby Cox; in Miami, you could criticize Don Shula; in Boston, even Red Auerbach was questioned. But it’s a crime to say anything against Johnny Oates, who managed the Texas Rangers from 1995 until his resignation 28 games into the 2001 season.
As told by Bob Cerv, Outfielder; 1961 New York Yankees.
by Trevor Freeman
My biggest objection with Amare Stoudamire and Boris Diaw being suspended for Game 5 was not the complete injustice of it. And that is saying an awful lot because the fairness of David Stern’s decision to suspend the two of them was only a slight notch below Vince McMahon forcing Bobby Lashley to have to defend his ECW title against him, Shane McMahon and Umaga in a handicap match on the last pay-per view. My beef with the commissioner lies in the absolute lack of testicular fortitude he put on display when he cancelled his scheduled appearance in Phoenix after making the suspension decision.
This is not the first time David Stern has shown that he is an incompetent twit who may also be smuggling a pair of raisins under his boxer shorts. Let’s take a quick look at some of the other “moves” he has made over the past fifteen years that have helped the NBA get passed by the NFL as the premier professional sports league in our country.
This week the big movers are the Minnesota Twins. Unfortunately, they’re moving in the wrong direction, as they slide four spots into the 14 spot. One of the Twins big issues is that Johan Santana hasn’t been as dominant as he was in past seasons. The good news though, if you’re a Twins fan, is that Santana is typically a slow starter, who is playing his best baseball toward the end of summer. His career ERA in the months of March, April, and May is over 4.20, but in August, September, and October his ERA is under 2.40.
The Yankees appear dead as Christopher Moltisanti. I gulp an overflowing glass of rum and coke, attempting to ignore their latest disintegration. It’s May 11th, which doesn’t stop me from worrying.
Bottoms up.
When speaking about the integrity of the game of baseball, we must address the very basic idea of baseball as being a team sport, which takes the efforts of every player to be in attendance for every game, whether or not they are actually participating on the field that day.
Here we are, the conference finals. Just eight more wins, and you can live a lifelong dream. Eight more wins, and you complete Mission 16W. Only four more teams are alive to finish Mission 16W, the Buffalo Sabres, Ottawa Senators, Detroit Red Wings, and the Anaheim Ducks. Buffalo had to dispatch a tougher than advertised New York Rangers team in six games, while the Senators easily dispatched the New Jersey Devils. On the other side of the coin, the Red Wings had an easier time with the San Jose Sharks then many had thought, while the Anaheim Ducks took care of the Vancouver Canucks in just five games.
The Hall of Fame does not exist for people like Joe Paterno and Doug Flutie.
Yes, these people are great and outstanding and should be in the College Football Hall of Fame, but that isn’t the purpose.
I would know of Babe Ruth and Red Grange if I hadn’t seen their plaques at Cooperstown and Canton respectively. They don’t need to be memorialized.
Remember that old theory that as long as Bud Selig was Commissioner then the Brewers would be cellar dwellers? Throw it out. Built like the cast of a smash hit television show, the Brewers have assembled a team of guys who are establishing their identities with this team, playing the role they were born to fill.
I’ll admit before I begin that I don’t have a tremendous amount of connections to the Bay Area. A few of my friends live there, sure – but can’t everyone say that? I’ve developed a drinking buddy as a result of the area’s pro hockey team, as detailed in my post about San Jose’s demise in these NHL playoffs. One time, as I wrote on Larry Brown Sports, I went out there to visit a girl with the full intention of something physical happened; I think that might have died when we checked into a hotel and she said “separate beds.” Or perhaps it was six hours later, when she started making out with another guy at a bar we were at.