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Okay, let me first say that I love the Yankees.  Therefore by the laws of god, physics and all that is right I HATE the Red Sox.  Not a little bit…a lot.  Boyfriends, friends and business deals have been lost over my love for pinstripes andhate for the Bosox. 

Even my disdain for the Red Sox could not keep me from being completely floored and disgusted by the cowardly way Terry Francona was run out of town last Autumn.  I posted the blog below the day after it all went down.  Between the season ending collapse last year and the The Bobby Valentine Show so far this year (really Bobby…fan favorite Youkilis is the player you chose to pick a fight with in the press??)….well one has to wonder if karma is alive, well and living in Fenway.   The name of the blog was “Intentional Walk” and it was originally published on October 1, 2011.  It is amazing how on point it still is….enjoy!

INTENTIONAL WALK

“Okay – I am gonna be totally honest.  I love the Yankees.  I love Yogi, I loved the Mick, I hated and then loved “The Boss”, I love Jeter and I love CC.  David Wells threw his perfect game on my wedding day and I am pretty sure he did it because I LOVE THE YANKEES and somehow he knew that.

Therefore, I HATE THE RED SOX.  Not a little – A LOT.  I have actually pulled muscles rooting against the Red Sox.  Bucky Dent is nothing short of a god in my house and my husband understands that if he ever shows up at the front door that I will send a postcard.  We call David Ortiz “Big Poopy” in my house.  Kurt Schilling and his silly bloody sock can kiss my…well you get the point. 

So with all that being said……Terry Francona got the rawest deal in town yesterday. 

Francona is not the reason that Lackey forgot how to throw a ball over the plate, or that his “man of steel” Youkilis got hurt.  He didn’t cause his former MVP Pedroia to go ice cold in September.  And he CERTAINLY was not the cause of Carl Crawford turning into a collassal bust of all of the off season signings and dreadfully misplayed the ball that ultimately slammed their season shut.  Nope.

I can tell you what he did do.  He brought two World Series titles to Beantown in 2004 and 2007.  He compiled an overall record of 744-552.  He has also taken this team to the most playoffs in team history and has the 2nd most wins in Red Sox managerial history.  And for all of that he got….the intentional walk out the door.

In this era of ball players having egos and bank accounts bigger than the games they play (Hi Mr. Reyes, yes that line forms right behind Mr. Umenyiora over there) I get it.  Someone has to take the hit.  Of course Mr. Francona took the high road and resigned keeping the sacred “what happens in the clubhouse stays in the clubhouse” rule in tact. 

Like I said, I HATE the Boston Red Sox.  And now I hate how they treated the man who brought them back from the ashes.

Babe Ruth just ordered a beer and pointed to center field and said “This one is for you Terry”.

It is maybe the best episode of Punk’d ever…..take a minute and work with me here. 

The scene….Florham Park NY.  The first team meeting of Jets Training camp, July 2012.  One must take a moment to drink in the real life Land of Misfit Toys.  Your eyes fall first on the “Big Toe” (pun totally intended) of this alleged professional football team, YOUR head coach Rex Ryan.  At first it appears that he is studying this years playbook, making notes, writing and erasing furiously.  Sadly it is later discovered that he is simply trying to figure out how to spell the word guarantee in preparation for his presser on Media Day.  Your eyes then fall upon a solitary figure in the corner.  Could it be…why yes it is, Captain Santonio Holmes sitting all by himself on a long empty bench.  When asked why he, the dude with the “C” on his jersey, is sitting alone he responds with the charm of a rattlesnake “I am just startin where I left off yo, you feel me???”  Next, in a desperate attempt to find some nugget of anything having to do with THE TEAM, THE GAME OF FOOTBALL AND SEASON AHEAD you look for Plaxico Burress to ask him what if felt like to catch a Superbowl winning pass.  But alas, Plax is not there because after telling the Giants to shove their post prison offer he signed with the Jets and slowly disappeared over the next 16 weeks.  I could go on and on but you get my point here….53 players, 53 limos.  Can anything save this seemingly broken team (and I use that term very loosely)?

Suddenly the meeting room door swings opens and brilliant rays of sunshine streams into the otherwise dark room.  The loud rap music suddenly stops and melodic tones of “The Hills Are Alive” begins to fill the air.  Enter Tim “The Messiah” Tebow.  The very definition of goodness, virtue and selflessness.  He travels to third world countries on the off-season to build housing for people who have none.  He donates enormous amounts of money and time to charitable causes all year long.  In college he wore scripture numbers on his under eye black for crying out loud.  This is GOD’S quarterback folks.  Things that make you go Hmmmmmm……….

Suddenly one of my favorite Sesame Street songs pops into my head….One of these things is not like the other….one of these things just doesn’t belong. 

Okay Ashton….come on out…..Ashton…..ASHTON!?!?!?

Well, thank god, it’s over. 

After what seemed like MONTHS of endless speculation and coverage, the white smoke has now risen into the rocky mountain air and a new Pope has been elected in Denver.  Since the March 7th press conference where the Colts cut him loose, the speculation over Peytons place has been a real life drama.  Sports anchors have been scrambling, scouring and analysing every clue to be the ONE to break the story.  Fans on blogs and in chat rooms all over the country have been feverishly talking trash about why HE will come to THEIR team and deliver NFL nirvana.  We have endured grainy video of Peyton walking in airport hangers…..YES, walking in airport hangers.  We have sat riveted on the edge of our chairs during each and every stop of the “Whose Gonna Pay Peyton 2012 Tour”.  We even had a screen in screen live feed of a slow speed chase featuring Peytons motorcade as it arrived in Denver…..and no I am not making that up.

But alas,  now the contracts have been signed.  The shiny new Bronco wearing his shiny new jersey got phototographed with his shiny new bosses and now it is time to get down to business.  Right??

What seems completely forgotten in all of this is that Peyton is a 36 year old quarterback with 4 (and some say 5) NECK surgeries in his box score.  Not knees or elbows folks….freakin neck surgeries.  Not too many second chances involved with neck injuries that require multiple surgeries.  He has also not thrown a pass in the NFL since January of 2011.  And for those of you playing along at home, throwing passes during team interview workouts while coaches and executives pull muscles slapping each other on the back with “he’s our boy” pride, is NOT the same thing as throwing a pass with multiple 300 pound linemen charging at you like a rhino.  The risk is there and it is very real.

On the other hand, he is NFL royalty with a pedigree that has never really been seen before in professional football.  If anyone can turn this scenario into a happy ending…..the dude with the word MANNING on the back of his jersey is probably your guy. 

One thing is for sure.  Both Peyton and Elway want another ring…….BAD!  This move is a risk, but one that the Broncos had to take, period. 

How it plays out will be some of the best sports theater ever, period.  

What else is sure is that we will now have to wait until late summertime to see if Denver is indeed Peyton’s Place.

So it is another post football Sunday in February (sound the very sad music…may I suggest the theme from Brian’s Song?) In years past these February post football Sundays were  spent wandering around my house looking like I lost my lunch money, un-combed hair standing straight up in the air and watching Sportscenter 14 times and still not knowing what any of the coverage actually covered.  But not today!!  It is A POST FOOTBALL SUNDAY IN FEBRUARY AND I HAVE MY WHOLE DAY PLANNED AROUND….wait for it…..A FREAKIN KNICKS GAME!!!!

Okay, I will admit it….I am a “born again” Knicks fan.  I have seen the light, gone to the Mountaintop and come back to the promise land.  But it was a hell of a journey. 

In the mid 90′s I didn’t miss a game…EVER.  I loved that damn team.  Ewing, Starks, Mason, Oakes….led by the greasiest coach in the NBA, Pat Riley.  That is until he sent a resignation FAX to the team and flew South as all crap spewing birds are known to do.  After a brief coaching interlude by Don Nelson – enter the Underdog of the NBA – Jeff Van Gundy and his always present Diet Coke. 

I was there the night that Starks went 3 for 458 in Game 7 of the 1994 playoffs when Riley inexplicably stuck with Starks while Rolando Blackman and Hubert Davis were ON THE BENCH,  driving Knicks fans to beat themselves with chains.  I was there and watched the infamous Ewing finger roll that just missed and actually resulted in a glass of wine being hurled at a nearby wall in my home.  And who could forget PJ Brown flipping Charlie Ward around like they were on Dancing With The Stars, which started a bench clearing brawl that featured Van Gundy hanging onto Zo’s ankle like an amorous, growling chihuahua??  Awwww – I miss those days!!

Enter the Isiah/Dolan/Larry Brown show…..I will spend as little time on this era as I can because it still makes me equal parts furious and violenty sick to my stomach.  Suffice to say that the logic defying, infuriating and downright stupid decisions that were made (too many to list) during that time made Knicks wonder WTF could they be thinking???  I don’t know what Isiah has on Dolan but it’s gotta be good.  And I will leave it at that. 

Enter the amazing days of LINSANITY!!!  Even the addition of Melo and Stoudemire last season – which certainly added a spark of mojo to the Garden – cannot compare to what has taken place at 34th and 7th (or as it has been renamed - The Linsane Asylum)!!!

The hype is over the top.  The coverage is, in every sense of the word, global (Lin’s 87 year old Grandmother was chased by the paparazzi yesterday).  The phenomenon of the moment is kicking ass and taking names AND I LIKE IT!!! 

That being said, I feel like I must say to Super Lintendo….Dear Sweet Jeremy, please be careful.  As hard as it must be not to take all of this too seriously, please stay grounded.  It is hard to go from thin air to rarified air and as fast as they build you up in this town – they will take great delight in tearing you down.  It is a good thing you are from Harvard because you are gonna have to be a smart guy to navigate these waters. 

But in the meantime….where’s my remote?  Almost time for the next chapter in my favorite story…Linderella!!!!

If anyone happens to see Peyton Manning walking around make sure that you are EXTRA nice to him.  Give him a smile, extend your hand…..what the hell hug it out.  Poor guy has got to be having a rough go of it lately.  I mean consider the evidence…..

The Indianapolis Colts went 2-14 this past season.  Two and fourteen.  Even though they have only won one Superbowl in the last 10 years, the Colts have become synonymous with excellence, unrelenting competitiveness and WINNING (they won the AFC South in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010 – they know a little bit about winning football games).  And no one had a more feared game day face than Peyton Manning.  It has been rumored that he has made sidewalks ACTUALLY ROLE THEMSELVES UP just by looking at them on Gameday.  So when a May neck injury kept him off the field all season, well all HELL broke loose and rained down on Lucas Oil Stadium like dollar bills on strippers during NBA All Star Weekend.  But that is not what this blog is about.  Due to having the worst record in the league, the Colts have the first pick in this years NFL Draft…dum de dum dum…..

Enter Andrew Luck, the Stanford QB who has created a buzz and a following that may have surpassed that of another Stanford first rounder named John Elway.  He is fast, tough, fearless and appears to also have the mental toughness to handle the spotlight and the scrutiny that comes with being a leader.  He has it all…..including the very strong assumption that his name will be the first one called at Radio City Music Hall on April 26th. 

As things stand right now, the Colts owe Peyton a $28 million dollar bonus on March 8th.  If they choose not to pay him that bonus Manning’s career in Indy will surely be over as that would be a clear indication that they do plan to take Luck.  Both Luck and Peyton have made it clear that there is not enough room on one roster for both of them…..so I ask you WHAT IS PEYTON’S PLACE??  If he is, in fact, healthy enough to play football in the NFL, where does he go?  Miami and NY (Jets NOT Giants) have been rumored but it is still hard to believe that after 14 seasons he would be so unceremoniously dumped.  “Thanks for all the success but don’t let the door hit you in the ass on the way out”.  Not even a nice watch…..

Add to that, his little brother Eli is playing in the NFC Championship Game tomorrow as the signal caller for the New York Giants.  Eli is also having a career year and has taken some big steps towards Canton and QB immortality.  The brothers seem close and all but that has got to be a bitter pill to swallow.  So, well the P-Mann just can’t be having a very good time right now. 

So like I said, if you see ole Peyton, please consider some of what I have said.  Extend some compassion and offer up a smile that lets him know you understand.  If you are still not sure how what to do, just ask yourself, gee…..WWTTD…..(What would Tim Tebow do?).

I’m not gonna lie.  I really don’t get it….I really don’t.  Tim Tebow has been the single most polarizing figure in the NFL, the country – maybe the world, this season and I have never seen so many people who are determined to TEAR HIM DOWN.  The Tebow flash-point is so highly charged….and I will say it again……I DON’T FREAKIN GET IT!!

Haters gotta HATE I guess…..and sadly I have come to understand that.  The Internet has given rise to a new, and quite sinister breed of Hater.   Allow me to introduce you to the dreaded anonymous loser-Hater.  This is a special breed of cowardly fan who sits in the comfort of his mothers basement and talks trash about people on the internet without reprucussion or filter.  Generally the public figure who they are loser-Hating on has accomplished more by the 8th grade than the loser-Hater will in their whole life.  I have no use for these idiots….I worked for a pro team for 8 seasons and in my position I saw these loser-Haters all the time and how they acted when they got around players – any players – including the practice squad and - no I am not making this up.  Trust me, they begin to swoon like a schoolgirl, shuffle their feet a lot and say “hey man” repeatedly.  They just SUCK UP LIKE A PLUNGER ON A PORT-A-POTTY…..EVERY TIME. 

So, I welcome someone….anyone….to tell me what problem they could possibly have when it comes to Tim Tebow?  Is he TOO NICE to people he comes into contact with?  Is he TOO RESPECTFUL of his teammates and coaches?  Is he TOO COMMITTED to something (in this case GOD) which has given him a direction in his life that is based on reaching out to help others?  Is his work ethic TOO STRONG?  Come on loser-Haters….let us normal people in on the secret. 

In this 24 hour news cycle that we live in, the VAST majority of headlines involving professional athletes are all about alleged grown men turning their backs on their teammates (Hey Santonio Holmes…sup buttercup), making EVERYTHING ABOUT THEM (Yo Lebron – how is the heat in Miami treating ya) and of course the perpetual baby momma drama (athlete list too long to include)….what can your panties POSSIBLY bunch up about when someone dares to bring up the concept of Tebow Time??

The NFL, the country and the world can only benefit from young men like Tim Tebow.  I am not overly religious one way or the other but I do think it is time….Tebow Time actually. 

But Haters….fear not.  If you gotta hate….don’t worry……I have Rex Ryan’s home phone number!!  Knock yourself out!!

Hey Everybody!!

I took a bit of a break over the holidays from shooting off my mouth about all things sports but I’MMMMM BACK!!!!

New blogs will be comin fast and furious so check back soon!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

K

The NCAA had yet another ugly episode to deal with on Saturday when Cincinnati and Xavier met in a bitter crosstown rivalry.  The animosity had reached an explosive level all week on social media and the air was ripe for detonation.  A basketball game was scheduled but a raw, violent street fight is what broke out.  Jawing from both benches started from the first tip and continued throughout the entire game.  Then with 9.4 seconds left to go all hell, quite literally, broke loose.  It was ugly folks…..benches cleared, fists flew, players screamed obscenities at one another, coaches and assistants were pushed, shoved and bloodied.  The worst of the worst.  But that is not what this blog is about…..Nope.  It is about the way one man showed up at the post game microphone and did the right thing.

Mick Cronin, the head coach for Cincinnati, came to the microphone to deliver a message that everyone who coaches or plays anything from tee ball to pro sports should hear.  Over and over and over again.  He did not come out and point fingers at the other guys.  He did not come out and excuse his team’s actions.  He did not come out and deliver some PR Department retread speech about the integrity of “his program” and use a lot of words that sort of sound like responsibility but really aren’t.  Nope. 

As a woman I hesitate to use the term “manned up” but that is exactly what he did. 

Cronin was clearly completely disgusted when he came to the podium for the post-game presser.  He commented that he demanded that every player take off their jerseys.  He also commented that some had to be removed physically.  “It’s a complete embarrassment. Toughness is doing the right thing. You take your ass-whipping and go home. If my players don’t act the right way, they will never play another game at Cincinnati.”  commented Cronin.  He went on to say that he and the school president will watch the tape and determine which players “remain on the team.”

“These guys, very few of them are ever going to make a dollar playing basketball. They are here to get an education at two great universities and they need to appreciate that. The world don’t revolve around them, around basketball. They need to learn how to act, they need to have respect for the fact they are on a scholarship, that people come to see them play. That’s just the facts of college athletics.”

“I’ve never been this embarrassed. I’m hoping President Williams doesn’t ask me to resign after that. We represent an institution of higher learning, it’s way more important than basketball games. Whoever puts that jersey back on – I made everybody take their jersey off and they will not put it on again until they have a full understanding of where they go to school and what the university stands for and how lucky they are to even be there, let alone have a scholarship, because there’s a whole lot of kids that can’t pay for college. And don’t get to go to school. My mom didn’t get to go to UC, she grew up on campus. They couldn’t afford it.”

There was more comments but you get the drift….

How refreshing that someone, anyone, connected with the NCAA actually puts the integrity of the young men and women that they are coaching ahead of team and personal box scores and does not condone or gloss over their players acting like animals. 

Well done Mr. Cronin…..well done.  I plan to watch your press conference with my 12 year old son to show him what the “man” in gentleman is really all about.

Franco Harris.  FRANC-O HARRIS.  You hear his name and you can just close your eyes and see the gritty, faded NFL films featuring his countless amazing moments as a Hall of Fame Pittsburgh Steeler fullback.  What can you say about the guy??  His on field partnership with Rocky Blier provided the Steelers a running tandem that owned the 1970′s –  winning 4 Superbowls in 6 years that decade.  In 1975 he was named the Superbowl MVP becoming the first African American AND the first Italian American to win such an accolade.  Now THAT’S AMORE!!  He rushed for over 1000 yards for 8 seasons breaking a record previously held by JIM BROWN for cryin out loud – JIM FREAKIN BROWN.  The most hallowed of halls as far as NFL royalty is concerned.  He was the star of the “Immaculate Reception” in a 72 playoff game against the Oakland Raiders.  That play, which is still regarded as one of the greatest plays in NFL history, when with 22 seconds to play he caught a deflected pass and ran it in to score to send the Raiders home and send the Steelers to the next round.  He won the Walter Payton Man Of The Year Award…..this guy is solid gold.  Great guy.  I bet his suits are never even wrinkled he is so smooth!!  Oh, and did I mention that he went to Penn State????

Franco unfortunately took a big eraser and wiped all of the good he ever did in a miserably failed attempt to support the Penn State football cult and its exhaulted leader Joe Paterno.  After visiting the coach at his home over the weekend Harris was quoted as saying “”You people can say ‘Listen, yeah, everybody should do this,’ but… I would say 95 percent of people would go through superiors thinking that your superiors who are competent would do their job and go to police.  I’m defending Joe Paterno, not Jerry Sandusky.  I was defending the Second Mile program, that it’s a great program and unfortunately, we have the founder take advantage of that situation. I am supporting Joe Paterno and I wish the board would have supported Joe Paterno.”

Well here’s the rub Chief.  Paterno was made aware of children being raped in his building by his coaching staff and did nothing.  I get that you still drink the blue and white Kool-Aid and all but THERE IS NO DEFENSE OF LACK OF ACTION ON ANYONE’S PART – MOST OF ALL THE FACE OF THE PROGRAM – PERIOD.

So Franco, your comments are a disgrace, as are most things connected to this horrific abuse of power and children.  Your misplaced conscience makes me sad and sick. 

I feel like a need to wipe down after discussing this….anybody have a terrible towel??

The 2011 World Series is over and the St. Louis Cardinals are the Champions.  I am not particularly happy about that, being a Texas gal and all but this World Series seemed to mean a lot more than just who popped the corks at the end of 7. 

This series was like the two smallest kids in the class agreeing to meet after school, rolling em up and throwing hay-makers until one of them just can’t get back up. 

St. Louis was 10.5 games out of playoff contention at the end of August.  On the LAST DAY OF THE SEASON they had to win and get help from the Braves just to see post season play.  And that’s exactly what they did. 

As for the Rangers, their story is not as much about how they barely got to the World Series but how PAINFULLY close they came to winning it – TWICE in Game 6.  One strike away.  TWICE.  In Game 6.  So instead of sliding on a shiny new 2011 World Series ring that has eluded Texas icon and Ranger President/CEO Nolan Ryan since he won it as a NY Metropolitan back in 1969, his team has turned into the first team to lose back to back World Series since the Atlanta Braves in 91-92. 

But THAT isn’t even the bigger story, at least to me.  The bigger story is that in this day and age of the “8 guys, 8 limos” mentality that seems to prevail with all pro teams and athletes, two unlikely teams rolled em up and gave us one of the most gritty, bloody knuckled World Series in recent memory. 

So my hat goes off to the St Louis Cardinals and their perpetually cranky skipper.  My heart goes out to the Texas Rangers and their prepetually bouncy skipper.  And my respect goes out to both teams who refused to say die, refused to say bye and refused to believe that they couldn’t make it to the big dance. 

So…..how long until pitchers and catchers report again???