One Crazy Day

I think it's safe to say that May 2 was definitely the craziest sports day so far this year.  If narrowed down to just one sport, it still would've been nuts.  But we had wackiness all across the board.  The only pro league that didn't have newsworthy stuff going on was the NBA (which is in the midst of the playoffs), and the Great Conference Shuffle of 2012-13 continued.

Let's start in the NFL, where the players involved in Bountygate found out their fates.  Four current/former New Orleans Sinners were suspended for their roles, most notably Jonathan Vilma, who was banned for the entire year.  Vilma vows he's innocent and will appeal.  My response: "Really?"  Everyone knows Vilma was the ring-leader among the players.  Including Roger Goddell.  I didn't think he'd get an entire year, but I don't think it's unfair that he did.  Vilma was just as responsible as the coaches involved.  Anthony Hargrove, now with the Packers, got half a season, while Will Smith was suspended for four games and current Brown Scott Fujita received a three-game suspension.  All four players have denied their involvement and have even threatened legal action against the NFL. 

This is a case of the sublime meeting the ridiculous.  The suspensions aren't going to be reduced on appeal, and I'm not exactly sure what purpose legal action would serve other than wasting a lot of money and a lot of people's time.  The CBA, which was signed by the union that represents every one of these players, supercedes everything.  And the CBA gives Roger Goddell and Roger Goddell alone to power to dole out discipline.  And Goddell's made it pretty clear that player safety is his top priority. 

The NFLPA also has to tread lightly in this situation.  It's not like the union can just jump completely to the defense of these guys.  They were going out intentionally trying to injure fellow union members.  The NFLPA can't ignore that.

Then there was the sad news about Junior Seau.  To call his suicide "shocking" would be an understatement.  He played football with a reckless abandon, which is part of what made him so enjoyable to watch.  It's also why he suffered so many concussions.  The same concussions that might've contributed to his death.  The entire situation is incredibly sad.  I can't believe he'll be enshrined in Canton posthumously.

And talk about the sublime meeting the ridiculous, Andy Pettitte reluctantly testified against Roger Clemens yesterday.  And gave the prosecution ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!  In case there was any confusion, the Roger Clemens trial is going to yield the same result as the Barry Bonds trial.  I'm so glad that the government decided to waste taxpayer money on this trial.  TWICE!

On to yesterday's actual baseball games.  For the first time in Major League history, two 40-year-olds hit walk-off home runs on the same day.  First it was Jason Giambi in Colorado, then it was future Hall of Famer Chipper Jones ending a wild Braves-Phillies game in the 11th inning.  In the Yankees-Orioles game, Eric Chavez got hurt.  The only reason I bring this up is because in Joe Girardi's neverending quest to have a roster made up entirely of pitchers, the Yankees are down to 11 healthy position players (including the guy they called up today), one of whom is backup catcher Chris Stewart, who doesn't count. 

Now it's off to Anaheim, where Jered Weaver threw the year's second no-hitter.  Two interesting little factiods about that game.  First, Alberts pitchers have thrown more no-hitters this season than the man himself has hit home runs.  Second, when they showed Weaver hugging his parents on MLB Network, Harold Reynolds noted that they raised "two great Major League pitchers."  Under what definition does Jeff Weaver qualify as a "great" Major League pitcher?  Jered, sure.  Jeff, not quite.

Weaver's no-hitter ended only about 15 minutes after that incredible Rangers-Capitals game.  I normally don't have a problem with triple overtime playoff hockey, but when I have a vested interest, I don't really enjoy it as much.  At least the right team won.  (Of course, it would've been a lot earlier if that shot hadn't hit Boyle in the butt during OT No. 2.)  And in a game that lasted more than 110 minutes, Rangers defenseman Stu Bickel got a whopping four minutes of ice time.

See, look at that.  So much stuff happened that I didn't even get a chance to touch on all the conference-jumping in college sports.  But we may be getting a college football blog pretty soon.  A playoff is coming!