There's been a lot of stuff that's happened in the world of sports over the past couple of days. So much that I want to blog about it all. I couldn't decide! Then I figured, why not just blog about all of them?
I'll start with the Roger Baddell bashing. Mr. Brilliant Commissioner once again proves his brilliance by suggesting the NFL could/should eliminate extra points. Why? Because they're too automatic. Has anybody had any issues with the existence of the extra point before Mr. Brilliant Commissioner opened his big mouth? And, keep in mind, this isn't something that has actually been discussed. This is just him speaking off the cuff and thinking people will actually not think he's an idiot. I can't wait for Denver to win the Super Bowl 28-27 because Seattle missed an extra point. Hey Rog, here's a plan. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
Speaking of if it ain't broke, don't fix it, the Pro Bowl was never good to begin with, but it's been made so much worse ever since he got his hands on it. I'm convinced he wants to Pro Bowl to simply go away, and he's made some pretty good steps towards achieving that goal. First, he moved the game to the week before the Super Bowl, because, you know, why would you want players from the two best teams in the league playing in the All-Star Game? That's just crazy talk! Then he gets this idea to drop the AFC-NFC format that worked perfectly fine and steal the NHL's idea of having team captains pick the teams. The NHL's format is incredibly stupid. It should be eliminated, not emulated.
At least he acknowledged that the New York Super Bowl might not have exactly been the best idea he ever had. Was it the snowstorm we had on Tuesday or the ridiculously bitter cold? I was watching the news on Wednesday, and they showed hundreds of workers digging the stadium out. And this is just so they can paint the field, which they kinda need to do. But don't worry, he WILL sit out in the cold among the fans. Well, he'd better. It was his dumb idea to play the game here in the first place. Although, I did half expect him to bring the Super Bowl to an outdoor stadium in a cold weather city, then sit there in his comfortable, heated suite.
Moving on to one of my other favorite bashing targets, the NBA has unveiled its All-Star Game jerseys. And they're not letting the t-shirt thing die. Since the players didn't look stupid enough wearing pajama tops on the court during the Christmas games. I understand it's all in the name of marketing, but I think you're overestimating how stupid people are willing to look. If they want a t-shirt, they'll buy a t-shirt. If they want a jersey, they'll buy a jersey. You don't need to combine them into one hideous-looking thing that even the players who have to wear them hate. (Don't get me started on those nickname jerseys either.)
The NBA All-Star Game takes place during the Olympics, which will soon capture the world's attention. The various nations are gradually announcing their teams, and the USA bobsled team was announced the other day. The women's team includes Lolo Jones, which of course drew plenty of comments. I don't claim to know anywhere near enough about bobsledding to have an opinion on whether she earned her place on the team, but did people seriously not see it coming? People are talking about bobsledding, aren't they? Lolo Jones might be a lightning rod, and some of the criticism of her is unfair, but she increased the sport's profile, which was one of the things they were looking for.
Speaking of the Olympics, I agree with the European leaders who think it's a slap in the face for President Obama to send Billie Jean King and other notable gay athletes as the head of the American delegation to Sochi instead of going himself. I've said this before and it's not a popular opinion, but it's a Russian law. It's none of our business. We're going to be guests in their country. They're not asking us to agree with the law. They're just asking us to respect it, which is what we would expect if it was the other way around.
I wonder, would it be worse for an American going to the Olympics to hold hands with a man or wear Team USA gear around Sochi? Didn't the Cold War end like 20 years ago? Don't the US and Russia get along now, differing views on the gay law notwithstanding? I, for one, am not as paranoid about something happening at the Olympics as everyone else seems to be. Terror threats obviously have to be taken seriously, but the Olympics are too obvious a target and there's so much security that somebody would be stupid to try something. I'm not saying there aren't people stupid enough to think about it. I just think if they actually did want to try something, they probably wouldn't be very successful.
Greg Maddux and Tony La Russa both won't have a logo on their hat on their Hall of Fame plaque. The other four were obvious, and you wondered which hat they'd choose for those two. I, like most people, figured Maddux would go in as a Brave. That's where he had his most success, and he's going in with a rotation-mate and his manager. But he started his career in Chicago and spent just as much time with the Cubs as the Braves. It's a little weird, but you've gotta respect his decision. One classy individual. La Russa probably couldn't decide, either. His success in Oakland and St. Louis was about equal, although he won two World Series with the Cardinals compared to just one with the A's, so that's probably the way I would've gone. I just hope this doesn't become a trend. Because, as great as he was as a Mariner, Randy Johnson should go in a Diamondback next year.
As I sit here watching the Kings-Ducks game at Dodger Stadium, I once again get to thinking about how stupid an outdoor hockey game in Southern California is. Outdoor hockey is seeing your breath as you try to stay warm in sub-zero temperatures. Not a jersey with flip flops and shorts as you "suffer" through a 50-degree night in January. There's a freakin' beach volleyball court next to the ice in left field!
One last hockey story that'll move your heart if you haven't already seen/heard it. Mandi Schwartz, a women's hockey player at Yale, passed away from cancer a few years ago. Every year, Yale has a "White Out For Mandi" game to raise money for the cause. Madi Schwartz's brother, Jaden, plays for the St. Louis Blues. The Blues' road trip to play the three New York teams coincided with this year's "White Out For Mandi" game. But instead of just letting Jaden go, the entire team went. And they held an open practice at Yale's rink prior to the game. Awesome. One of the classiest moves I've seen in a long time.
Oh yeah, and the Yankees won the Masahiro Tanaka sweepstakes. I'm not surprised. Even when people were saying the Cubs were the frontrunners, I was still pretty convinced he'd end up in pinstripes. And to all those people who said that they overpaid for him may be right, but this was a situation where they had to overpay. The Yankees needed to restore the faith of their fan base, and this was the way to do it. Everyone knew they needed starting pitching and he was the prime target. They couldn't let him go somewhere else, especially after losing Cano, and even more so after saving the money they don't have to pay A-Rod. Mission accomplished. The Yankees got their man. Payroll limit be damned.
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