Stormin Norm's Ramblings

NORM’S NFL SEASON PREVIEW AND PICKS

Wed, 08 Sep 2010 05:55:43 GMT

Right off the top, I’m going to pick against the popular trend for the 2010-2011 season. In fact my Super Bowl picks completely defy the odds, and I’m almost 100% certain, that nobody else on the continent is going with my selections. So with that in mind, I am picking the Indianapolis Colts ( I am biased……. I am a Colts fan ) to beat the New Orleans Saints in this years championship. Indy will win the game 33- 26.

I don’t need to be reminded, because I already know, that the teams who make it to the Super Bowl sometimes don’t even get back into the post season, but I don’t care. Both teams are still very good, and besides, when was the last time that the Colts weren’t thought of as a team that had the potential to get to a Super Bowl ? It’s been a long time !!!

I’ve been hearing a lot of good things about the Colts first round draft pick, Jerry Hughes, a 6’2”, 255lb. defensive end from Texas Christian University. He is said to have similar skills to Dwight Freeney, who partners with Robert Mathis on the other side, but is not as difficult to defend as Freeney is.

The Colts always have a chance as long as Peyton Manning is quarterback. If he gets hurt, they’ve got no chance at all. He’s already among the greatest of all time, even though he only has the one Super Bowl win, and his intercepted pass clinched the win for New Orleans, with time winding down in the fourth quarter last February. Quite frankly, if both Dwight Freeney and Bob Sanders had been healthy for the big game last year, the Colts would have won it for sure.

Sean Payton is a very innovative and bright coach, who knows that it is difficult for championship teams, to stay motivated after winning it all. I think he began planning for that dilemma, the day after the Saints won the Super Bowl, and because he is an unconventional coach, I think it is not that far of a stretch, to suggest that he might be able to get the Lords of Louisiana, back to the promised land of professional football. Drew Brees is similar to Peyton Manning, in that he can dominate a game and carry a team on his back. Last year’s team led the NFL in takeaways, with 39, and that explains, along with the Super Bowl win of course, the impact of Defensive Coordinator Gregg Williams, considering that the Saints were 8-8 the season before

Realistically, their is a lot of parity in the NFL now, so there are other teams that you could make a case for as well, in terms of being good enough to win a Super Bowl this year.

The Green Bay Packers are among those teams, to the surprise of absolutely no one. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers is on the verge of joining the upper echelon of that position, as he too can put a team on his back and lead to them to big wins. I hear they made a very wise selection with their third round draft pick, Morgan Burnett, a 6’1” safety, from Georgia Tech, who should help improve their defensive secondary.

The Dallas Cowboys are another legitimate choice for Super Bowl glory this year. Tony Romo’s idol was Brett Favre. Whether or not Romo can match his success in playoff games on a continuing basis, remains to be seen. Romo certainly is willing to take his chances in a game on risky plays, just as Favre has done through his career. Concern has been expressed by some, that the running backs, Felix Jones and Marion Barber, did not have good training camps.

The New York Jets are also a popular pick for the Super Bowl, and now that they have re-signed cornerback Darrelle Revis, arguably the very best at his position in the NFL, their bandwagon will certainly swell. I still think that quarterback Mark Sanchez still has some maturing to do, before the Jets are ready to take that next step.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are behind the 8 ball for a few reasons. Big Ben has to sit for his 4 game suspension, so they have to go with inexperienced Dennis Dixon, to go along with an aging receiving crop, although Mike Wallace is a good young player. The Steelers are also in a very tough division,as the Ravens are certainly good enough to get to a Super Bowl, as Joe Flacco has won 3 of 5 playoff starts,and with the addition of Anquan Boldin, the offense received a huge upgrade. Of course the defense inspires fear in many, with the likes of Ray Lewis and Ed Reed. The Bengals added Terrel Owens so their offense is potentially more dangerous,depending on how he gets along with everyone. Cincinnati has also been getting props, for drafting wide receiver Jordan Shipley from Texas, who is regarded as having solid potential.

For San Diego fans, even though the Chargers are the best in the division, the contract disputes with Pro Bowl left tackle Marcus McNeill and wideout Vincent Jackson, could prove to be costly to the tough luck team. General Manager A.J. Smith, is a very smart evaluator of talent, as a former protégé of Bill Polian, when they were assembling those 4 Buffalo Bills teams, that made it in succession to the Super Bowl. He is also regarded as being very tough, and that includes in scenarios like contract negotiations.

The Vikings would also be a good pick for a Super Bowl win,but the absence of Sidney Rice leaves big shoes to be filled, and even with Brett Favre, I think his absence will prove to be very costly, while he recuperates from hip surgery in the first half of the season. Add to that the migraine headache problems of Percy Harvin, and it looks like an overwhelmingly difficult task, for even the greatest of quarterbacks.

It almost goes without saying, that the New England Patriots are a good bet to go all the way and claim another title. I still think they are hurting a little, from the loss of leadership of former key personnel, like Rodney Harrison, Tedy Bruschi, and Mike Vrabel.

Even with defensive end Julius Peppers, I wouldn’t pick the Bears to get to a Super Bowl. He wasn’t kept in Carolina because of inconsistency in his effort. They didn’t think he was worth the money. Quarterback Jay Cutler has all kinds of talent, but you wouldn’t know it by the way he played last season. He has a lot to prove this year, in terms of character and ability.

PICKS FOR WEEK ONE:

Vikings at Saints: For the reasons I stated in the preview, regarding the Minnesota injuries, the Saints will prevail by 24-20.

Lions at Bears: Detroit made some very good picks in the draft,with defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh from Nebraska, and running back Jahvid Best from California. They will give Chicago their money’s worth, but not enough for an upset. Chicago wins 30-27.

Raiders at Titans: Oakland is getting better, but not at a level with the Titans just yet. Tennessee tops Oakland 20-17.

Dolphins at Bills: Buffalo had the second best pass defense in the NFL last season. They’re just not good enough elsewhere to get to the playoffs. Miami 24-Buffalo 17.

Falcons at Steelers: Pittsburgh is pretty tough at home most of the time, but they are vulnerable at quarterback for now. Atlanta 23- Pittsburgh 21.

Broncos at Jaguars: Denver should be able to win this one, and by a score of 31- 20.

Colts at Texans: Houston will probably have a lead in the 4th quarter and blow it in the last 5 minutes. Indy 38 Houston 30

Panthers at Giants: The other Manning will also win on Sunday by 34-24.

Bengals at Patriots: A very entertaining match. The Brady bunch wins this one 23-20.

Browns at Buccaneers: Tampa Bay’s rookie wide receiver, Mike Williams, out of Syracuse,will start to show why he will win offensive rookie of the year honors. Tampa 27 Cleveland 17

Arizona at St.Louis: Sam Bradford looks like he’s going to be a pretty good quarterback one day. His team still needs to get better. Arizona will be a shadow of the squad they were the last few years. Rams 24 Cardinals 20.

49rs at Seahawks: San Francisco 21- Seattle 20

Packers at Eagles: Green Bay 38- Philadelphia 17

Dallas at Washington: Cowboys 28 Redskins 16

Ravens at Jets: New York 21 Baltimore 20

Chargers at Chiefs: San Diego 31 Kansas City 14.

LABOUR OF LOVE: ARGONAUTS-TIGER-CATS

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 06:55:04 GMT

If you grew up in Toronto, as I did in the nineteen-sixties, then you remember a time when the Canadian Football League, and the Toronto Argonauts, were just as important, and at times maybe even more popular, than the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League. In the early nineteen-seventies, the Argos, under the ownership of John Bassett ( 1957-1973 ),as well as coach Leo Cahill ( 1967-1972 ), were signing players who would ordinarily be expected to be with the National Football League, but for that relatively short period of time, the CFL, and the Argonauts in particular, were making big news, by recruiting players like quarterback Joe Theismann ( with the Argos from 1971-1973, prior to joining the Washington Redskins, finished second to Jim Plunkett for the Heisman trophy in 1970, and was an All-American as well as an Academic All-American that year ) out of Notre Dame, cornerback Tim Anderson and defensive lineman Jim Stillwagon from Ohio State ( winner of the Outland, the first winner of the Lombardi Award, and UPI - Lineman Of the Year, all in 1970.) , as well as running back Leon (“X-Ray”) McQuay from the University of Tampa. ( was a two time small college All-American with the Spartans, and with Toronto from 1971-1973 and returned to the Argos in 1977 after playing in the NFL.)

The Argonauts were hated by all the other teams and their fans, because they represented Toronto, ( the largest city in Canada, the financial and media centre as well.) and also the fact that the “Double Blue” could buy any player they wanted. At that time, there was no salary cap. The hatred for Toronto was at it’s peak in Hamilton, Ontario, back then, and those feelings for Hamiltonians are probably similar even now, although the on-field struggles of their Tiger-Cats, have taken away some of the passion that used to be there. In those days,a ticket to a Toronto Argonauts game at Exhibition Stadium was as tough or even tougher to get, than those of the Maple Leafs, with the relatively small number of home games for a football season. In the late 1960’s and through the 1970’s, crowds of 50,000 were not unusual for the “Boatmen”. If you wanted Argos tickets, you either owned them already, or you had to know someone who had them. The Canadian game was never more popular in Toronto, than it was at that time. Sadly, it has never come back to those levels, and it probably never will. In southern Ontario, the National Football League dominates the hearts, and minds of those under the age of 40. The CFL still gets solid TV viewership across the country and in Ontario, but it does not translate into better than ordinary ticket sales in Toronto. The attendance at the the Rogers Centre for the Argos, is quite often in the 20,000 range, which is not bad, but still not very good for a greater metro area population of nearly 4.5 million.

With that in mind, it was a flashback to watch the Labour Day Classic on Monday afternoon, with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats crushing the Toronto Argonauts 28-13,at the sold out and soon to be abandoned Ivor Wynne Stadium in Hamilton. In southern Ontario, it is one of the few remnants of a time gone by, when the Canadian Football League dominated right across the country. The revitalization of this once very intense rivalry, is a trip into a virtual time tunnel of sports, and allowed me to go back in time for a few hours, and regenerate the old feelings that used to be there. On Monday afternoon, 1971 didn’t seem to be all that long ago. Too bad that reality set in right after the game ended. That of course, is the beauty of sports. It’s a complete escape from the day to day grind of life. Sometimes, you just wish that the journey would go on for a lot longer than it does.

MANNY BEING CLASSY

Mon, 06 Sep 2010 06:33:33 GMT

When baseball fans,players, management, and media talk about Manny Ramirez, a nine time Silver Slugger, 2004 World Series MVP, and recipient of a 50 game suspension in 2009, for an alleged positive drug test in 2003, you would sometimes hear a catchy expression being used, to describe his somewhat unpredictable behavior, “ it’s just Manny being Manny,” which usually referred to counterproductive scenarios he was involved in . Many people who make poor choices in what they do or say early in life, realize their mistakes as they mature, and there’s no telling at what age that may occur. Ramirez did not leave the Boston Red Sox on good terms before being dealt to the Los Angeles Dodgers at the trading deadline in 2008. It was suggested that he wasn’t a popular team-mate in the Boston clubhouse at the time of the transaction, and while in Boston this past weekend with Chicago, the Sox D.H., went out of his way to find former Red Sox team-mate and friend Kevin Youkilis, whom Ramirez had a scuffle with in the Boston dugout, during that same season.

Ramirez, a native of Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic, was brutally honest about his encounter with the Red Sox first baseman, as reported by ESPNBOSTON.com: “ I think everything was my fault. But hey, you’ve got to be a real man to realize when you do wrong. Hey, it was my fault. I’m already past that stage and I’m happy with my new team. When I went to first base and saw Youkilis , I said: ‘ Hey, what happened between you and me, I’m sorry. That’s my fault’. So it takes a real man just to go and tell a person it was my fault. That’s what I did. I life, you pass every stage, and I’m already past that stage. You keep growing, and when you look back you say, ‘ Oh, I did this wrong’. What is done is done. All you can do is go and play the game and finish your career good.”

Even though he ended up in Chicago, Ramirez was asked if he would have considered returning to Boston, if the Red Sox would have been interested in having him back with the club. “ I would have come and see what I could do for the Red Sox. I did it here in the past and it’s in the past. If they claimed me, why would I say no to them ?”

The 38 year old also seems to be a very spiritual man, and fatalistic about what yet, life might have is store for him. “ I’m leaving everything to God and he’s going to guide me. He’s going to let me know, ‘Hey, that’s it. It’s over.’ Only God is going to tell me when to stop. I’m not going to go out and say this is my last year. He hasn’t told me that.”

It is refreshing to hear and read that the 12 time All-Star, is more concerned with leaving a positive legacy wherever he can at this still relatively early stage in life, and where necessary, the slugger wants to correct any of his previous mistakes, and repair any damaged relationships. Manny being classy, is way more important and in the best interests of Ramirez, than” Manny being Manny” ever was or will be. As he would know, from playing on a World Series champion, the sports cliché we’re all familiar with, is quite true: “There is no i in team.”

GRILL ROOM GAB FEST

Fri, 03 Sep 2010 05:46:44 GMT

As is always the case in my weekly appearance on Sun TV’s the “Grill Room”, the program was focused on all the hot button topics of the day. Up first, the panel of Roger Lajoie, Chris Tessaro, along with host Gareth Wheeler, were asked to comment on the NHL’s messy contract situations, headlined by the Ilya Kovalchuk monstrosity ( 17 years, $102 million ), which led to a legal battle between the league and the players association, and this moved the issue into the hands of Arbitrator Richard Bloch. He sided with the league, against the contract. The Devils have submitted a revised offer, rumored to be for $100 million over 15 years, according to ESPN.com, and a decision from the league is expected by Friday September 3 at 5pm.This was not the first time an NHL contract in the post lock-out era, had violated the spirit of the agreement between the players and the owners. The Red Wings and Blackhawks have also been in league commissioner Gary Bettman’s bad books, for signing players to contracts that were far beyond what a true hard salary cap without loopholes would allow. These legal loopholes will obviously be closed the next time the CBA is re-negotiated, and there will probably be a five year contract maximum, that teams will be allowed to offer for their players. The owners are the guilty ones in this situation, as they locked out the players to get cost certainty in the form of a hard salary cap. These massive and ridiculously long contracts, are fraudulent in terms of what is intended by this type of salary cap.

Some of the other topics we debated, included our projections, as to how bad we think the Raptors will be next season. There really wasn’t much to debate on this subject, as the only point that has some variation, is how low Toronto will finish in the standings. I think they have a very good chance of getting the first pick over-all, if the lottery balls fall their way. They could be bad enough, to have the worst record in the league by the end of the season. Most nights, the best feature of a Raptors home game might be the Raptors Dance Pak, who are definitely entertaining and talented. I would expect to see quite a drop in attendance and in season tickets, considering how bad the team already was, and the departure of Chris Bosh. Other than visits by the top teams like the Lakers, Celtics, and of course the Miami Heat, it is hard to imagine, barring some unforeseen miracle, that there will be more than a few sell-outs for NBA games at the Air Canada Centre.

We also offered our thoughts on Andy Roddick’s poor sportsmanship at the U.S. Open. Not only does he have to learn to show some class on the court, in dealing with game officials, even when they are wrong and he is right, but it also seems that his game has deteriorated somewhat. At the U.S. Open on September 2, Roddick was defeated by Janko Tipsarevic of Serbia in 4 sets,losing for the first time in the second round of the prestigious tournament , as detailed in Wikipedia. Whether it was his bout with mononucleosis, or some other injury or ailment, the American fan favorite appears to have some work to do, in order to improve his game and also his behavior.

POLITICAL FOOTBALL

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 05:58:58 GMT

Sometimes the games that are played off the field in professional sports,are more important than the ones played in-between the white lines. Of course that applies to almost all areas of life, in that quite often interpersonal dynamics can determine ones success or lack of the same, as much, or sometimes even more than pure skill or ability. Anytime you have more than two people in a room, political like games are being played in terms of domination and influence.

With that in mind, England coach Fabio Capello seems to have had a dramatic change of heart, when it comes to the possibility of playing former captain and global soccer icon, David Beckham. With the former Manchester United star unable to play for England in the recent World Cup because of a torn Achilles tendon, it was made clear after the Three Lions disappointing play in the tournament, where Beckham served as an assistant coach, that Capello intended to go with young players. It was also asserted by the head coach, that it was time for the London native to have one last farewell in front of the England fans, so he could be properly recognized and saluted by the loyal legion of Lions fans

Capello was absolutely massacred by the media for this announcement, especially when it became clear that he had not yet spoken to Beckham ahead of the announcement, to advise him of his plans. Beckham’s agent further added to the coach’s humiliation, when he told the soccer scribes that the L.A. Galaxy midfielder had no immediate plans to retire, and that as far as he was concerned, he was still capable of, and wanting to participate with England’s national team.

Fabio found out fast, that football has a pecking order too, just like everything else in life. So it seems that he has now realized, that even though he is the coach, his status on the soccer staircase is only above Beckham in title, and nothing else. Therefore, it is not surprising at all, that Capello has dramatically changed his stance pertaining to his former assistant coach from this past summer.

As recently reported by ESPNsoccernet, Capello’s comments are quite different than they were about a month ago: “ First, Beckham has to be playing again but the door is always open. We’re monitoring all the players. Once he recovers and is in really good condition, we will have a chat…….I think the future is with the youth but after that, I will decide which players to choose. We know the value of the different older players………..we have to think about the Euros but no player is out.”

Pertaining to Beckham specifically, the England coach added: “ The relationship between me and David is really good. I spoke with him on the phone because he was part of the staff at the World Cup. Usually, I don’t speak with players but in this case I spoke with David.”

Fabio fumbled in his first foray into public relations. For the time being at least, it seems that coach Capello conceptualizes that the Lions den can be dangerous,especially for those who work in it.

GUNNER GETS SHOT DOWN

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 05:13:52 GMT

One of the most notorious tales to ever emerge from the recent World Cup Of Soccer in South Africa, or from any World Cup ever played, was the implosion and subsequent strike of the French soccer team, a few days before their final group game against the host nation, which they lost anyway. Originally, it was thought that Les Blues’ and Chelsea striker, Nicolas Anelka, was mostly to blame, after his verbal tirade against coach Raymond Domenech,led to his dismissal from the team, and the aforementioned strike by the rest of the roster against the coach a few days after that, in sympathy with their team-mate.

A much different interpretation of the France fiasco has emerged from a source within the team, who would know exactly what was going on. According to ESPNsoccernet, former France team doctor Jean-Pierre Paclet has removed the entire blame from Anelka, and placed some of it squarely on the shoulders of Arsenal’s Samir Nasri. Paclet contends that even though Nasri was not on the World Cup roster, “………the 23 year-old was a source of disquiet which dates back further than June after upsetting captain Patrice Evra and senior professionals Thierry Henry, William Gallas, and former Marseille team-mate Franck Ribery.”

Now that the suspensions have been handed down, with Anelka’s being the most severe at 18 games, it may be time for the French Football Federation to thoroughly review their research, even if they stand by their disciplinary moves. No aspect of this soccer shocker should be swept under the carpet, if the federation is sincere about bringing justice to what became a huge national embarrassment. Nobody outside of the team will likely dispute the suspensions because of the strike, but at least the fans of the team and the rest of the football world, deserve to know the entire story, not just the widely publicized aspects of it.

In extracts from his book, “L’Implosion”, Paclet was quoted in reference to Nasri: “ Here was a kid with a dozen caps looking down on players with a hundred. Scarcely believable. His behaviour gets on the nerves of almost everybody and he has the gift of really annoying Henry, Gallas, and Patrice Evra. Most of all, the relationship between Nasri and Ribery was very tense, from the time they were together at Marseille. They were more like kids in a playground rather than professionals on a pitch. Ribery would cause general laughter if, say, he put salt in my coffee. If he did it to Nasri, there would be no sense of humour from him.”

Paclet also dishes out some of the responsibility for the Anelka outburst, with the man on the receiving end of the tirade, coach Raymond Domenech, shedding some new light on their discord. “ When Domenech went to see Anelka at Chelsea last season, Anelka warned him, let him know that there was no point taking him to South Africa if he was to play him in a position he didn’t like………The problem with the French team wasn’t Anelka. You have to understand he is loved within the squad, immensely popular, even if he’s introverted.”

It seems to me that French Football Federation, in conducting it’s investigation into the soccer version of a soap opera in South Africa, missed the message of the doctor, and put a Band-Aid on the wound, but failed to address the infection. If the team doctor is correct in his assessment of Les Blues’ and on Anelka’s importance to the squad, then the Federation fell flat on their fannies in trying to fix the fracture.

MIXED MESSAGES ON MIXED MARTIAL ARTS

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 05:32:51 GMT

Last week on the “Grill Room” on Sun TV, one of the topics that we debated extensively, was the announcement from the Canadian Medical Association, calling for all provincial governments to ban professional Mixed Martial Arts. The statement they issued about their concerns made perfect sense, from a medical point of view. I say that in spite of the fact that I trained in kick boxing and kung-fu as a teenager, at Twin Dragon Kick Boxing and Kung Fu, from 1973 through 1976, for the purposes of learning self defense, getting in better physical shape, and developing self confidence. My goals were achieved in all those areas, due to the superior instruction I received at Twin Dragon, which is still in operation, at several locations in the Toronto area.

I think that those who are old enough to make legal decisions that affect their daily lives, should have the right to decide if they want to put themselves at risk for possible brain damage, by participating in a professional sport where their heads will be pounded by fists and elbows. As opposed to being completely dismissive of the Canadian Medical Association, the Ontario government should have considered adopting legislation,if it’s not already in place, that would prohibit those under the age of 18 from practicing the sport, even in a sparring scenario, without head and face protection, and to consider banning the use of elbow hits to the head completely. I doubt that you need to be a brain surgeon to figure out that repeated blows to an unprotected skull, by an elbow or fist, will probably cause trauma of some kind. We have all come to learn through research on football and hockey injuries, even with helmet protection, that blows to the skull that cause the brain to move, are dangerous in terms of concussion and long term damage to the brain.

The most puzzling statements that emerged from all of this, were from Tom Wright, the head of UFC’s Canadian operations, as detailed in the Toronto Star story by Daniel Girard last Thursday: “ he was disappointed the doctors brought forward the motion to ban professional MMA without first consulting his organization or having the medical evidence to back up claims that competitors face extraordinary risk of injury.” Wright was more direct in the comments attributed to him in the same story, in his remarks to Toronto’s 680 News: “ Clearly potential for injury is no different than it is in football and hockey, and indeed significantly less than it is in boxing.” Wright is the former commissioner of the Canadian Football League.

It is a little hard to believe that Wright could possibly state that there is no difference in the potential for injury with an unprotected skull, as in MMA, where blows to the skull are delivered with elbows and fists, in comparison to football and hockey, where the object of the sport is completely different, and blows to the head do occur, but those incidents are not the focal point of the sport, or a strategy to win games, and can result in penalties in certain situations.

The questioning of the credibility of an entire medical association, as Wright is clearly doing, makes this approval for professional Mixed Martial Arts in Ontario, look like a cash grab, which it obviously will be for those promoting the events, for the local economy, and for the provincial government in tax revenue, with estimates in the Toronto Star story at $6 million in local economic activity, that may result from hosting a professional MMA event. That’s all well and good, especially with a still shaky economic environment. Having said that, it would be appropriate to hear something other than complete dismissal of the concerns of Canadian medical professionals, as it pertains to the potential for serious neurological problems, for those who participate in the sport.

NO DEALING DAMON FROM DETROIT

Wed, 25 Aug 2010 05:23:12 GMT

I’ve mentioned many times over a number of years on the radio, and probably a time or two in this blog, that one of the nicer professional athletes to deal with from a media perspective, is Detroit Tigers DH, Johnny Damon. From the first time I met him, and that was probably was when he was still with Kansas City, he was always one of the more approachable baseball players, and would almost always find time for an interview. During the discussion, he would provide intelligent answers, and not rush through it, as though it was the last thing he wanted to do. As opposed to an arrogant athlete, Damon actually seems to be a sensitive individual, who does care about people. The former Yankee comes across, as though he can still relate to the average working man. He speaks as though he has an understanding, for the day to day struggles of the average person, to pay bills, and make it through life’s ups and downs. His personal wealth from being a star athlete, has not clouded his perspective on the real world. Maybe he has a greater sensitivity to people in general, because he struggled with stuttering as a youngster, according to Wikipedia.

With all that in mind, it wasn’t surprising to me that he decided to remain with Detroit. His split from the Red Sox management and some of the fans, doesn’t seem to have been very pleasant for him. As previously mentioned, he does seem to be a sensitive kind hearted soul. Even though some of his former Boston teammates, like Jason Varitek and David Ortiz, tried to persuade him to return to the team that he played a major role with, in rallying Boston from a 3-0 deficit against the New York Yankees in the 2004 ALCS, ( 2 home runs and a grand slam in game 7.) and then helping them to win the team’s first World Series since 1918, by sweeping St.Louis, he will remain in Motown for now.

The injury riddled Red Sox ( without Kevin Youkilis, Dustin Pedroia, Jacoby Ellsbury, Mike Cameron, Hideki Okajima, Jason Varitek,Kevin Cash, Eric Patterson, Jarrod Saltalamacchia. ) were 5.5 games behind the New York Yankees and the Tampa Bay Rays before Tuesdays games had begun. The Tigers were 10 games back of the AL Central leading Minnesota Twins, and almost out of reach of the wild card spot, at 14 games back. They have gained one game back from the Twins as of Wednesday.

In understanding Damon’s sensitivities, you could almost read between the lines of his comments, in terms of his feelings about the possibility of returning as a Red Sox player. According to ESPN.com, Damon stated: “ I had a great time playing there. I told the team what it would take, in terms of dollars and years – but it got ugly when it became apparent that resigning me wasn’t a priority.” Damon also told ESPN.com, that “ the broken relationship with the Boston fans has ‘absolutely’ left a scar on his psyche………..”

During an extended pre-game show on the Red Sox NESN telecast, due to rain, veteran baseball journalist and Massachusetts native Peter Gammons, referred to an incident in Boston, where Damon was walking through the streets of Boston with his wife, and was on the receiving end of some harsh comments from a Boston fan. Gammons said that Damon took it personally, and said that he thought that the Tigers DH would be worried how the Boston fans would receive him as a returning player. ( This obviously stems from his move to the Yankees and a feeling of betrayal for many Sox fans. ) Gammons stated that from his perspective, he would be welcomed back by Red Sox nation.

With his exceptional class and down to earth demeanor, Damon is the sort of player who will be applauded by almost everyone, almost everywhere that he goes, other than in Boston, where there are still some bitter and broken hearted Red Sox fans, who have quickly set aside the contributions of the Kansas native, to their beloved baseball team.

STICKING WITH SCULLY

Tue, 24 Aug 2010 07:54:10 GMT

It was so inspiring on Monday, to read that veteran broadcaster Vin Scully, will be returning to the broadcast booth in 2011. Now 82 years of age, Scully is one of the very few play by play voices that fans will go out of their way to listen to, even if they are not fans of the Los Angeles Dodgers, the team whose games he has been calling since 1950, going back to when the team played in Brooklyn, New York.

There are some broadcast outlets,where the trend has become one of going with much less experienced journalists, regardless of the fact that in some cases, they have nowhere near the knowledge and perspective, of the more mature broadcasters. This does not occur everywhere in the industry, but it does happen in some places.

There is no “young” person anywhere, that could now or ever replace Vin Scully, but somewhere, there might be some poorly researched executive, who might be inclined to try and replace a legend like him. Their misguided and sure to fail rationale, would be that they are going after the younger demographic in the audience. These are the type of decision makers, who fail to understand that the sports fan wants information, and want to feel that during the course of the broadcast, they learned something they may not have known previously. The reason why I go out of my way to tune in Vin Scully, is because I know that I will always be hearing one or more stories that I had never heard before, from any source, either in the electronic or print media. This shows how far off the mark the strategy is, for those media outlets that think the that the sports fan really cares about the looks of the sportscasters. Sports fans never have, and they never will care about completely insignificant nonsense of this kind. They do care about knowledge and accurate information,as well as an ability to provide perspective, which the mature broadcaster can provide,like a Vin Scully. Don’t think that I’m against up and coming broadcast journalists getting an opportunity. The talented and hard working young professionals, should get their break, like everybody else in the industry did, at some point in time. I had to wait until age 37, in 1992 at the Fan 590 in Toronto, to get my first on air opportunity, which is certainly pretty late in life, compared to most in the business. What I am against, is any kind of trend to move out older and experienced broadcasters, who still are effective in this field. It denies the audience, the very thing that they are tuning in for, which is insight,experience, and perspective. The scores and statistics they can get anywhere. With several of the major television news services, the anchors are all journalists who have been out in the field as correspondents, in many parts of the world, on different stories, before they get the opportunity to host a major news program. This gives them the credibility to deliver an intelligent and informed opinion, on the major stories of the day. I believe that this is the standard that should be maintained in TV news.

Broadcasting legends like Chris Berman of ESPN, or the late Foster Hewitt, Bill Hewitt, or Danny Gallivan, did not become or remain household names and icons in sports broadcasting, because they resembled some Hollywood hunk. Nobody really cared what they looked like, or how old they were. In fact, their age and experience made them even more compelling to watch and listen to. It was all about their knowledge of the game, and their ability to tell a story through play by play, and conversation. The viewer or listener could really care less if the on air host is tall, short, hairy, bald, skinny, or overweight. It is a non-issue for the vast majority of the audience, just like the thousands who tune in to watch and listen to Vin Scully call a Dodgers game.

FACEBOOK FODDER

Mon, 23 Aug 2010 05:57:48 GMT

As a sports journalist, and one with around five thousand Facebook friends, I sometime end up in some lively debates about teams that I like and openly cheer for. There are some sports journalists who claim that they aren’t and never were fans of any team. Yeah, right………can you spell LIAR ? Anyone who believes that, is about as naive as can be. I have my biases, but I have always been very open about them. It would be great if everyone else in the business did the same.

One of those colorful chats on my Facebook page, revolved around my support for the Chelsea Blues of the English Premiership. Like many teams in professional sports, they have a few players who have had issues that created negative headlines. Fans of other teams in soccer, like to use that as part of their debate material, to put down my support of the team. Whether it is team captain John Terry, and his alleged involvement with a former girlfriend of former England teammate Wayne Bridge, or striker Nicolas Anelka, and his verbal tirade against then France coach Raymond Domenech at the World Cup, which led to the team wide strike by Les Blues in South Africa, I really don’t have the time or energy to care, or get emotionally caught up, in every moral issue on teams that I support. Quite frankly, the older one becomes, the more you realize, that what many of us learned about from biblical times, especially the passage about “ Let he who has no sin, cast the first stone,” is something we should all be paying more attention to. The spirit of that message carries over everywhere. There are very few people anywhere in the world who do not have any skeletons in their closet. Some are more fortunate than others, in not having their secrets revealed. That doesn’t mean that anything goes, but it is just too difficult and a waste of time to try and pick teams by everyone’s personal record of transgressions. Sports for me, and many others, is a diversion, and I am not going to get involved in moralizing about every player and every wrong doing. The professional athletes are just like the rest of society. They have good, bad, and in-between. I am a Chelsea fan, and to a lesser degree, I cheer for some other clubs in the Premiership, who I like for different reasons, like Liverpool, West Ham, and Portsmouth. I have no intention of changing my allegiances because of individual troubles that have arisen, or that may surface in the future.

I think we should all leave the work of the Lord for the Lord in terms of passing judgment, if you believe in a higher authority, as I do. In any case, sports is entertainment, and most of us do not have the time or energy to start creating a fantasy team of perfect people. That’s just not going to happen. Furthermore, I don’t know of anyone else who ever stopped supporting a team, because the roster had some individuals who crossed the line in terms of accepted behavior. Whether others have or not, I won’t be among them. Let’s go Blues, Reds,Hammers, Pompey, and of course, Let’s go Orange !!! I think that pretty much goes right across the spectrum of sports, in a most colorful way.