Do Charity Work, Get Benched And Fined

ESPN senior writer Rob Neyer discovered a great little nugget adding to the bizarreness that is the Washington Nationals baseball team in his latest Monday Mendozas blog. Apparently, Nats outfielder Elijah Dukes -- who has been one of the few players doing anything remotely good on the ball field for the team this season -- was benched, fined $500 and threatened with a demotion to the minor leagues after he showed up to the park a mere five minutes late after the team's usual reporting time. Fine, teams have rules. But here's the kicker - Dukes was doing charity work for the Nats at a local Little League. 

The worst manager in the major leagues, Manny Acta, gave this explanation: 

"He was late for work, he broke a team rule, and we are going to change the culture here — regardless of how well a guy is playing," Acta said. "And it was a bizarre situation, because he was doing something that we encourage our players to do: He was out in the community doing something for some Little League program and just showed up late to work. He was very remorseful about it. He felt bad, but we have to lay the law on whoever."

This just seems utterly ridiculous to me. Dude, you're already in a season full of embarassment, you're probably going to get fired in a few months, and you decide to bench a guy for doing something YOUR OWN TEAM INSTRUCTED HIM TO DO, and subject your team to another PR disaster that you didn't need. Listen, I know you want to lay down the law, but there are exceptions... like, you can bench and fine a guy if he comes into the clubhouse drunk, but not if he was being a good, tardy samaritan. 

RIP Harry Kalas: Baseball Loses Its Voice

Rest In Peace, Harry Kalas.

The voice of the Philadelphia Phillies for the last 38 years died a few hours ago, and I'm in shock, incredibly saddened and a little empty knowing the Phillies have lost their voice. Harry the K was such a beloved figure to the city of Philadelphia and to sports in general that his sudden passing has truly turned many worlds world upside down, and he will be deeply missed. 

Here's the video of his iconic call of the last pitch of the 2008 World Series. I'm glad he got to see another championship before he left.

The World of Tattletexting

[Link] http://sports.espn.go.com/espnmag/story?id=4012452

ESPN columnist Rick Reilly has shone a light on a new trend sweeping across sporting events in his most recent piece. A company called In Stadium Solutions offers a service at many stadiums, fields and arenas where angry fans can text a general number with complaints about fellow fans who are being annoying, rude or even violent. "Any fan can anonymously snitch out the overserved idiot who won't stop offering to fight Roy Williams at 120 decibels and pouring his Coke down your neck. You don't have to sit and take it anymore!" 

These are actual texts from fans who have used the service:

Lady in turquoise tank is flipping people off and cursing sec 235 row 14.

Section 446 Guy is trying to fight everyone -- send someone to remove him please.

This is ridiculous. We are being spit on from the 254 section.

Drunk guy passed out in my seat & can't wake him up sec 442.

Guy in black jacket is exposing himself to people. Section 408 row 4 seat 7. He has spikey hair.

Reilly asks: is this another form of big brother in our lives, the further creation of the surveillance state? I don't think so. This is actually an incredibly useful service that hasn't yet been abused, and it works for things like medical emergencies as well. And fans don't get thrown out of the event without proof of said altercation. At many stadiums, when a text comes in to security, a closed-circuit camera is put on the very seat in question to see what the problem is. 

I don't see this becoming a major problem whatsoever; if anything, it's helping to enhance our sporting event experience, by eliminating rude fans who sometimes ruin the games. (If you've ever been to any Philadelphia stadium, surely you know what I'm talking about.) The only way I can see it having a short lifespan is if it starts getting abused. Thoughts?

Should Jordan gets his own day?

Yes, I used the picture of MJ from Space Jam. Wanna fight about it?

[LINK] http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=jackson/090403

ESPN columnist Scoop Jackson raises an interesting question in his latest column: when Michael Jordan is inducted into the Basketball Hall Of Fame in September (after what will surely be a unanimous vote come Monday) should he really be inducted with other people on the same day? It's unprecedented for an athlete to ever get his own separate day for enshrinement, but Michael Jordan was also an unprecedented athlete, and arguably the greatest athlete of all time. Jackson argues that if the Hall Of Fame really cares about players and being true to transcendence of the game, it should induct Jordan alone. He writes:

That would be the fairest thing to do, for all involved. The distraction of MJ and the overall pageantry surrounding Jordan will be too great for any of the other inductees to enjoy themselves. For the others to get the attention and respect they deserve, Jordan must not be around on their day. Not in the crowd, not in the state, not even passing through. If he is (and he will be), for the others, it'll be like a bride getting upstaged on her wedding day … by her own mother. I'm not saying that Jordan is greater than the game of basketball. I'm just being honest about everything he did and how he changed, elevated, sustained, supported and practically financed an entire league. Nothing would be more appropriate. After playing most of his career in a league that paid him way less than market value (Jordan's salary, for all but two seasons of his career, was $4 million or less), it seems like the least that could be done to single him out.

It's a really interesting question that probably won't be subject for much debate, because of its low likelihood of actually happening, but I'm more inclined than not to agree with Jackson. MJ did so much for the game of basketball and sports in general that his impact is immeasurable; this would be the least that the NBA could do for him in return. And plus, it's gonna straight up suck for the rest of the inductees to share their day with Jordan. They'd receive little-to-no attention, undeservedly so, simply because of the behemoth sitting beside them in Springfield on that day in September.

Anyway, what does everyone think? Would this be fair? Is there anyone else in other sport who would deserve this honor more than Jordan?

B-Dawk Shows Why He Will Always Be The Man In Philly

[Link] http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=4041720

You might remember a few weeks ago when I posted about the situation with Dan Leone, the fired Eagles employee who was canned for badmouthing the team on Facebook following Brian Dawkins' departure. (If you're lazy, here's the original post.) In an incredibly classy and awesome move, Dawkins will give his allotment of two tickets to Leone when Denver (Dawkins' new team) visits Philly during the 2009 season.

"I thought it'd be a good gesture,'' Dawkins said, according to the Daily News. "Had I not ... signed with Denver, that guy would still have his job."

This isn't controversial at all, just a nice little nugget, so if you don't feel like commenting, you don't have to; but I thought it would be a good follow-up for those still interested in the original story.

I Don't Wanna Hear It, Michael Vick

[Link] http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=4038660

Michael Vick is telling his sob story to the courts now, admitting that he "did a lot of things I wasn't supposed to be doing as a role model," and that he "can't live like the old Michael Vick" anymore. While I have no doubt that since getting sent to prison he's realized the ramifications of his heinous actions and he at least feels some remorse, I'm not buying that all of a sudden he's a changed man. Read: Vick is testifying as part of a hearing to evaluate his plan to emerge from financial ruin. He was once one of the NFL's highest-paid players, but lavish spending and poor investments, coupled with the backlash from his dogfighting case, led to his downfall. Vick filed for bankruptcy in July, claiming assets of $16 million and debts of more than $20 million. He's sorry because he wants his money back and because he wants to play in the NFL again.

Whatever, dude. Then you shouldn't have dogfought. (Is that the past tense? I'm saying it is.) Listen, there's no denying that Vick is (or at least was) an electrifying talent, but I think it would be a TERRIBLE mistake on the part of Commissioner Goodell and the NFL to reinstate the athlete. Yes, the league has welcomed back felons before (Adam "Pacman" Jones -- but look where he is now) but it never works out. And letting Vick back in would basically be like absolving Vick for dogfighting in the first place. It would be a slap in the face to animal rights supporters and NFL fans who are petowners. Go play in Canada, you shmuck.

What do you guys think? Should Vick be given another chance to come back in the NFL? Do you truly believe he's sorry for what he did?

And This Was All Over Running A Red Light

[Link] Moats: "I hope apology is sincere."

One of the most troubling stories within the last week has been the bizarre incident between Houston Texans running back Ryan Moats (shown above with his former team, where he was a waste of a roster spot, but that's beside the point) and Dallas, TX police officer Robert Powell. A quick recap: Powell stopped Moats outside Baylor Regional Medical Center in the Dallas suburb of Plano after his vehicle rolled through a red light. He was trying to get to the hospital to spend one last moment with his dying mother-in-law. Moats' wife Tamishia walked away from the scene incident to go into the hospital, even as the officer had his gun drawn. She said there was nothing Powell could have done to persuade her to stay. By the time he received a ticket and a lecture from Powell, his mother-in-law was dead.

The entire 13-minute confrontation is on tape and can be seen here, and the whole thing makes me really question the motives and ethics of authority figures such as Powell. Moats was nothing but respectable as he pleaded with Powell to let him see his mother-in-law, yet the officer acted like an irrational jerk, and deprived Moats of a moment he'll never have back. Fine, he ran a red light - so give him a ticket and be done with it. Or don't give him a ticket at all. This was a dire situation, and I think Moats had every right to be rushing to the hospital, enough to bypass a red light that he knew wouldn't cause anyone any harm if he ran it. 

Powell has since been suspended by the Dallas police force and Moats and his wife have been making the rounds in various media outlets to discuss their plight and ask for an aplogy from Powell. (The two were on Good Morning America this morning: watch the video HERE.)

As one YouTube commenter puts it, "half of america's cops are respectable members of society who don the badge because they want to help people and enforce the law. The other half are jackasses like this Powell." What do you think about this situation? Was Powell right in his behavior, because he was enforcing a law and he had no other choice? Or did he act out of line, and should punishments be disregarded in extranneous circumstances like this one? 

Is A Cinderela-less Sweet 16 Boring?

Although ESPN.com senior writer Pat Forde never poses the question in his latest column, I'm sure it had to have crossed his mind, as it has many this week: Is the looming Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament a little boring without a surprise Cinderella team still alive?

This is the first year in quite a long time that none of these said spoilers -- think George Mason of 2006 -- will be present in the Sweet 16 round. (No. 12 Arizona, pictured above, comes closest, but they're traditionally a powerhouse, so they don't count.) Instead, all of the 1, 2 and 3-seeds are still alive, making this weekend's round and the rest of the tournament a true display of basketball's finest teams. But it seems like there's a greater excitement to the tournament when a surprise team makes it deep, and I can't help but notice a little bit of buzz fading now that there's not an underdog to root for. I'm not a diehard basketball fan, but I appreciate the game and of course I'm invested (literally) in the tournament this year for the same reason everyone else is: that fine payday that awaits. (Don't look now, but I'm NUMBER ONE in all Lehigh brackets on Facebook!) 

Anyway, has the tournament become less interesting without a Cinderella team? Or are you excited to see the nation's best teams square off to determine an unquestionable champion in terms of talent? Do you care? Do you just want the money? Discuss! 

Let The Man Tweet, Coach!

Charlie V loves Twitter, hates eyebrows

So in keeping theme with our recent discussions about social networking and its place in the sports world, I thought I'd post about an article from ESPN about Milwaukee Bucks forward Charlie Villanueva's recent Twitter mishap:

Villanueva got a talking-to from his coach Scott Skiles after the coach learned Villanueva posted a message to his Twitter feed -- a "tweet" -- from his mobile phone during halftime of Sunday's home victory over the Boston Celtics.

"We made a point to Charlie and the team that it's nothing we ever want to happen again," Skiles said after practice Tuesday. "You know, [we] don't want to blow it out of proportion. But anything that gives the impression that we're not serious and focused at all times is not the correct way we want to go about our business."

Using the screen name "CV31" -- Villanueva's initials and jersey number -- Villanueva posted the following message during halftime Sunday:

"In da locker room, snuck to post my twitt. We're playing the Celtics, tie ball game at da half. Coach wants more toughness. I gotta step up."

Read the rest of the article HERE.

Personally, I don't really see anything wrong with Villanueva's actions -- besides him NOT HAVING ANY EYEBROWS, WHICH CREEPS ME THE HELL OUT -- because he wasn't doing anything harmful against his team. In fact, I love to see athletes embracing Twitter, and social networking devices in general. I've been having a blast following Shaq on Twitter (THE_REAL_SHAQ), who recognizes the Web site as a great way to communicate with his fans. While coaches from the old guard might not see a place for Twitter in the locker room, I think that if it isn't distracting to players competitively, why not tweet? This can only be a good thing for sports. It of course brings more attention to the athletes, shows fans another side of them, and probably would only increase revenues. Plus, Villanueva said the tweet motivated him, and the forward turned in a pretty decent game in the second half. Coach Skiles... you have a really mediocre team on the verge of missing the playoffs. You see what happens when one of your players tries something new. Why not let all your players tweet from now on?

Eagles Employee Fired For Bad-Mouthing Team on Facebook

Dude's like, "you can take away my job, but you can't take away my keyboard."

While I promised I wouldn't let my love for Philly sports creep into my posting, this one's actually gotten quite a bit of leverage in the national media in the last few days (it even made ESPN First Take this morning) and is worthy of some good old-fashioned debate. Here's the story, as first reported by the Inquirer and commented on by Matt Mosely of ESPN: 

Dan Leone was a rabid Eagles fan (like there's any other kind) who was living out a dream of working for the organization as a part-time employee. When the Eagles allowed Brian Dawkins to sign with the Broncos, the 32-year-old Leone fired off an angry message on his Facebook. It's the sort of thing you could get away with in a crowded bar in South Philly -- but not in Cyberspace.

The Eagles relieved Leone of his duties over the phone, which added fuel to the fire of the Inquirer's muckraking (and entertaining) new columnist John Gonzalez. You have to appreciate a newspaper that can convince a grown man to pose for a picture while holding his keyboard like a helpless animal.

This was the status Leone posted on his Facebook: 

"Dan is [expletive] devastated about Dawkins signing with Denver. . .Dam Eagles R Retarted!!"

Nevermind the fact that Leone can't spell, but was his firing justified? The Eagles' Front Office is drawing ire for cutting the employee, who only works part time and admitted that the action was stupid and immediately removed the status after the organization saw it. But the bottom line is this: you NEVER bad-mouth your employer in public. 

See, I am a fan and a blogger, with no contractual obligation to the team, so therefore I can say that, yes, the damn Eagles are indeed retarded for letting Dawkins walk.

Whose side are you on? Leone's or the Eagles'?

Should The Union Identify The Other 103 Names?

A-Roid is like, "Yo, this isn't fair."

[LINK:] Fehr rejects drug suspicion talk

Major League Baseball union head Donald Fehr says the union will try to ensure that the list of 103 names of players who tested positive for steroids in 2003 will remain confidential. But is this fair? The biggest name on the list, Alex Rodriguez (hereafter referred to as A-Roid, or A-Fraud, you pick) has already been revealed, forever tainting the baseball star's career and legacy. Test samples and records were supposed to be destroyed, but Fehr says the players' association didn't have enough time to make arrangements after the results became final Nov. 13, 2003. Obviously the guilities don't want their careers to be jeopardized if their names are released, but as much as I hate the guy, not revealing the rest of the list isn't fair to A-Roid. In all likelihood, he would've been the biggest name on the list under any circumstance, but the fact that there are 103 other guys who tested positive for banned substances who aren't getting scrutinized means that 'Fraud is the media's sole scapegoat in this snafu, and he'd sure like to have some company to take some of the burden off his back. My main man Brad Lidge is also heralding the release of the names for the sake of his fellow players. Says the closer:

"I wish they would just come out and say who the 104 players are because it's not fair for the other players," Lidge said last week. "We're all lumped in with them, and people think most players did it during the steroid era. But all of us didn't cheat. I don't care how they do it, they should name all of the players on the list." [link]

What do you guys think? I know we're all tired of the steroids talk. I want to see this go away as much as anyone so we can all just enjoy normal baseball again.

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