Well, as it turns out, Fisher really did foul Barry at the end of game 4 between the Lakers and the Spurs. This is according to the NBA. They acknowledged this fact on Wed. Unfortunately, the game was played Tuesday night. At the end of the game, the Lakers were up 93-91. With time winding down, Barry did a shot fake, Fisher jumped and landed on Barry, Barry shot and missed, end of the game. No foul was called when Fisher landed on Barry. Had there been a foul called, Barry would have gotten 2 free throws to possibly tie the game. Most of the talking heads on tv agreed that a foul should have been called, although one idiot on ESPN said the right call was made because Barry did not "sell" the foul. People "selling" fouls is a big problem in the NBA as it is, and one that I will comment on another time.
Now, it is nice that the NBA has admitted that a mistake was made, but there is nothing that really can be done once the game is over. Unfortunately, bad calls are a part of the game. It happens. Hopefully, it just happens to happen. One person on MSNBC.com does not think it just happened to happen. But, it is all in the past now, and game 5 is currently going on. Although, if this was the Democratic Primary, the Spurs would probably have demanded credit for those 2 free throws that they were not awarded, and awarded the win because it was their home game, and they had won the previous home game. (For more on the Democratic primary, check out Beyond The Nation.)
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Jay Bruce Is Here
The Reds have finally called up Jay Bruce, who many consider the #1 prospect in baseball. In his debut, he went 3 for 3, with 2 walks, and 2 RBIs, in a 9-6 win over the Pirates. There are many fans that feel like Bruce should have been starting in centerfield on Opening Day. However, management did not feel like he was quite ready to go. Corey Patterson was signed in the off-season to play center, but he had been having a horrible season. Today, the GM decided the time was right. I happen to agree with managements' decision to start him in Louisville. If you're not confident the eventual future of your organization is ready, you do not rush them. That is how top prospects become forgotten. I believe Homer Bailey was hurt by being called up last year, and that set him back, causing him to not be ready for this season. I also liked what I saw, and stories the announcers told about Griffey and Dunn spending time and joking around with Jay Bruce and Paul Janish before the game. It is important for the established vets to ease the transition for the rookies. Yes, I know every game for Bruce is not going to be like this, but it is nice to see his first one go well. And two shaving cream pies to the face is always fun to watch.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Countdown to 600
In the top of the first inning, against the San Diego Padres, Griffey hit a two-run home run for his 5th of the season, and 598th of his career.
2 to go.
2 to go.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Dunn Does It Again
The Reds won today on a 3-run, walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth. This is not the first time Adam Dunn has beaten the Indians with a walk-off home run. In 2006, Dunn won a game with a grand slam.
Saturday Commentary: Return of the Blade Runner
No, Harrison Ford is not reprising his Blade Runner role as Rick Deckard. I am talking about a different blade runner, named Oscar Pistorius. This South African, double-amputee was born without a fibulae in each his legs. In order to run, he uses a blade like invention attached to what is left of his lower leg.
On January 14, the International Association of Athletics Federation ruled Pistorius ineligible to compete against "able-bodied" athletes because he would have an advantage against them. They believed that he used less energy running than runners with both of their legs. Their proof was a study done by a German professor named Gert Peter-Brueggerman. Pistorius appealed this decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sports. The CAS ruled in favor of Pistorius, claiming that the IAAF had failed to fully prove their case, citing an MIT study done by professor Hugh M. Herr that disagreed with Peter-Bueggerman's study.
However, being eligible to run in the Olympics does not mean that he necessarily will. Pistorius needs to improve his 400m time by nearly a second to qualify for the Olympics. If this does not occur, one possibility being floated around is that he could be named an alternate for the relay team. This would at least give him the possibility of participating in the Olympics.
The thing that is significant about this ruling, is that finally, a ruling body helps an athlete that has not done anything wrong. Pistorius did not ask to have his legs removed. Life would probably be easier for him if he had both of his legs. For the IAAF to say that he had an advantage over other runners was foolish and short-sighted. They saw something that was different, and took the easy way out. Maintaining status quo usually is the easy way out for a ruling body. The NCAA has been guilty of this on too many occasions, but that is a topic for another day. Issues are not always black and white, and fairness lies somewhere in the gray area. When the gray area is ignored, so is justice. Luckily, the CAS was there to favor the athlete, instead of status quo.
Information for this article was taken from the MSNBC.com article on the CAS ruling.
On January 14, the International Association of Athletics Federation ruled Pistorius ineligible to compete against "able-bodied" athletes because he would have an advantage against them. They believed that he used less energy running than runners with both of their legs. Their proof was a study done by a German professor named Gert Peter-Brueggerman. Pistorius appealed this decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sports. The CAS ruled in favor of Pistorius, claiming that the IAAF had failed to fully prove their case, citing an MIT study done by professor Hugh M. Herr that disagreed with Peter-Bueggerman's study.
However, being eligible to run in the Olympics does not mean that he necessarily will. Pistorius needs to improve his 400m time by nearly a second to qualify for the Olympics. If this does not occur, one possibility being floated around is that he could be named an alternate for the relay team. This would at least give him the possibility of participating in the Olympics.
The thing that is significant about this ruling, is that finally, a ruling body helps an athlete that has not done anything wrong. Pistorius did not ask to have his legs removed. Life would probably be easier for him if he had both of his legs. For the IAAF to say that he had an advantage over other runners was foolish and short-sighted. They saw something that was different, and took the easy way out. Maintaining status quo usually is the easy way out for a ruling body. The NCAA has been guilty of this on too many occasions, but that is a topic for another day. Issues are not always black and white, and fairness lies somewhere in the gray area. When the gray area is ignored, so is justice. Luckily, the CAS was there to favor the athlete, instead of status quo.
Information for this article was taken from the MSNBC.com article on the CAS ruling.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
All Part of the Plan
Going into the top of the 9th inning against the Marlins, the Reds had a 6 run lead. They then proceeded to blow said lead. First one by Cordero this season, granted he only gave up the final 2 of the 6. However, in the bottom of the 10th, with runners on first and second, two outs, and 2 strikes, Paul Janish hits a walkoff single to win the game. Who? Paul Janish. If you do not know who he is, do not feel bad. He was just called up from Louisville today, to replace the injured Jeff Kepinger. He entered the game in the eighth inning, and Baker allowed him to hit in the 10th. His first major league hit won his first major league game. To add to that, his mother had just happened to have traveled up from Houston to watch him play in Louisville yesterday.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Useless Things In Sports: Power Rankings
This is the first edition of a new column I am starting here, titled "Useless Things In Sports." In this column, I will explore useless items that exist in the world of sports. This may include stats, phrases, equipment, rules, or anything else that catches my attention. Today's useless thing is "power rankings."
"Power rankings" are lists created by a group of "experts" to rank teams in the professional leagues from best to worst. They should not be confused with rankings in college sports that actually matter. In college, the various rankings have an affect on post-season play, and also with the perception among possible recruits. But back to "power rankings."
The catalyst that started this realization was seeing a debate about ESPN.com's NFL pre-season power rankings. I listened to a couple "analysts" vehemently debate where certain teams should be ranked, and I realized this was pointless. First, we are barely a couple weeks removed from the NFL draft. (To see my friend's comments on the 2009 mock draft, another useless thing, go to his blog, Beyond The Nation.) Training camps will not start for a couple months. There is no possible way anyone can honestly make a prediction on how players gained and lost in transactions and drafted will affect a team. This is true about any sport before the pre-season starts, not just the NFL.
So, pre-season rankings are useless, but what about "power rankings" that occur during the season? Useless as well. All professional leagues choose their playoff teams, and draft status based on the record at the end of the season. It does not matter if the team is "ranked" first or tenth. Their record is going to determine their status.
In conclusion, "power rankings" for professional leagues could disappear completely, and it would have absolutely no affect on the sport, or your enjoyment of it. So, you have one less thing during Sportscenter to watch. Oh well. Maybe they could take the time spent on discussing "power rankings" and talk about sports that are currently going on, that do not get much coverage.
"Power rankings" are lists created by a group of "experts" to rank teams in the professional leagues from best to worst. They should not be confused with rankings in college sports that actually matter. In college, the various rankings have an affect on post-season play, and also with the perception among possible recruits. But back to "power rankings."
The catalyst that started this realization was seeing a debate about ESPN.com's NFL pre-season power rankings. I listened to a couple "analysts" vehemently debate where certain teams should be ranked, and I realized this was pointless. First, we are barely a couple weeks removed from the NFL draft. (To see my friend's comments on the 2009 mock draft, another useless thing, go to his blog, Beyond The Nation.) Training camps will not start for a couple months. There is no possible way anyone can honestly make a prediction on how players gained and lost in transactions and drafted will affect a team. This is true about any sport before the pre-season starts, not just the NFL.
So, pre-season rankings are useless, but what about "power rankings" that occur during the season? Useless as well. All professional leagues choose their playoff teams, and draft status based on the record at the end of the season. It does not matter if the team is "ranked" first or tenth. Their record is going to determine their status.
In conclusion, "power rankings" for professional leagues could disappear completely, and it would have absolutely no affect on the sport, or your enjoyment of it. So, you have one less thing during Sportscenter to watch. Oh well. Maybe they could take the time spent on discussing "power rankings" and talk about sports that are currently going on, that do not get much coverage.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Saturday Commentary: The Kentucky Derby
Every year, the Kentucky Derby is run on the first Saturday in May. This was the 134th running of the race. I have had the honor of being a part of the tradition surrounding the event for the past 7 runnings. As a member of the University of Louisville Marching band, we perform the song "My Old Kentucky Home" as the horses step onto the track before the Derby. I have many fond memories of time involved with the Derby. One happened at my first Derby. Wynton Marsalis perfromed with us. Before the performance, he had an impromptu jam session with one of our tuba players named Raymond Green. Another moment happens when the wind is blowing in the correct direction. There are times when there is a brief moment of silence in the music, but due to the sound delays, we could hear the grandstand singing. Each time this happened, it gave me chills.
Big Brown won the race this year, which is odd for a couple reasons. First, the favorite does not usually win. There are just so many situations that can happen, that keep them favorite from winning. It is possible for them to get stuck in the middle, and simply never have a chance to make a run. This risk is compounded during years like this year, where there is a maximum field of 20 horses. Granted, a jockey can try to get out front immediately, but then it is very rare that a horse leads from start to finish. Another thing working against Big Brown this was him starting from the 20th post position. Starting that far out increases the risk that the horse will have to run wide around the first turn. Taking the turn wide either forces to horse to work harder to keep up, thus tiring it out quicker, or lose ground to the horses closer to the rail.
Sadly, the runner-up, the filly Eight Belles had to be euthanized after breaking both front legs, while trying to slow down after the race. While this is sad, and I do feel sorry for all the people involved with the horse, I will stop short of calling this a tragedy. A tragedy is when 100,000 people die from a cyclone. A tragedy is when a bridge collapses. A tragedy is when there is a mass amount of death and damage occurs, and not when a single horse, or even human dies. However, this event is proving to be a lightning rod for the horse racing industry. PETA has made their voices and demands heard. Of course, none of their demands are very realistic. Look them up if you want to. I am not posting them here. On the more respected side of the debate, how race horses are being bred today compared to decades ago is being examined.
Big Brown won the race this year, which is odd for a couple reasons. First, the favorite does not usually win. There are just so many situations that can happen, that keep them favorite from winning. It is possible for them to get stuck in the middle, and simply never have a chance to make a run. This risk is compounded during years like this year, where there is a maximum field of 20 horses. Granted, a jockey can try to get out front immediately, but then it is very rare that a horse leads from start to finish. Another thing working against Big Brown this was him starting from the 20th post position. Starting that far out increases the risk that the horse will have to run wide around the first turn. Taking the turn wide either forces to horse to work harder to keep up, thus tiring it out quicker, or lose ground to the horses closer to the rail.
Sadly, the runner-up, the filly Eight Belles had to be euthanized after breaking both front legs, while trying to slow down after the race. While this is sad, and I do feel sorry for all the people involved with the horse, I will stop short of calling this a tragedy. A tragedy is when 100,000 people die from a cyclone. A tragedy is when a bridge collapses. A tragedy is when there is a mass amount of death and damage occurs, and not when a single horse, or even human dies. However, this event is proving to be a lightning rod for the horse racing industry. PETA has made their voices and demands heard. Of course, none of their demands are very realistic. Look them up if you want to. I am not posting them here. On the more respected side of the debate, how race horses are being bred today compared to decades ago is being examined.
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