The Human Element

So I know this is already being discussed in a different threat, but I want to keep it going and raise another question.

Instant replay and referee error is a part of sports. At every level since the beginning of sporting time, Referees have had as much to do with the outcome of games as players. And Sports have not collapsed, they have thrived. While Referees have little to do with that, the advent of new technology should be incorporated slowly and with caution because the extreme is something nobody wants.

The Extreme is having 32 nerdy guys play Madden and have the outcomes of those games determine what team wins the Superbowl, at least we know the human element is completely out of it.
The fun of sports is not just the competition but the conversation. That is why there are so many sports shows and radio programs, how else would Chris Berman have a job. How else would we have a blog.

And if you think this is a rediculous point, just watch ESPN Late tuesday nights and tell me it isn't a slippery slope, I have my money on 'House Shoe'

I never thought I'd side with the Yankees on anything, but...

This is pretty great.

As I've said, I would almost never condone the way the Yankees operate, because I think they're usually as guilty as ESPN of the "We're the only game in town" line of thinking, but in this case I think it's nice to see someone busting ESPN's chops a little bit.

Friday Night Lights

It's Senior Night in Nokesville as the undefeated Sherando Warriors arrive to play the 3-4 Brentsville Tigers.

Watch for Sherando's all world RB Markeith Brisco to plow through the holes made by Warriors' big uglies up front led by senior Joey Christine. With a similar test in the muddy slop last week, Brisco rushed for 206 yards and three TD's against the formidable James Woods team en route to a 28-13 victory. Just a week earlier, the same James Woods team shutout BDHS 26-0. With much rain in the forecast, expect another ground attack.

Premier high school handicapper Dav is setting this game as:

Sherando (-29.5) BDHS 41.5

With messy, messy conditions expect a relatively low scoring affair. Also, with the game wrapped up expect most of Sherando's starters to be out by the middle of the third quarter as they rest up for their matchup with 8-1 Millbrook next week, in a game that will most likely determine the Northwestern District champion.

Best. Uniforms. Ever.

How did I miss these last weekend?

In the words of a gay man?

"Fabulous."

Instant Replay

Gentlemen,

Sitting here tonight watching the first inning of the game, I couldn't help thinking of the path the Rockies took to the World Series. They were well under .500 in May/June, finally got management to place the balls in a humidifier equalizing the playing field (take note Mr. Castellini), went on a tear in the 2nd half and finally won something like 16 of 17 to reach the one game playoff.

Did you guys watch that game vs. the Padres? If you remember, San Diego scored 2x in the top of the 13th to go ahead, and the Rockies came back with 3 off of Hells Bells Trevor Hoffman to win it......BUT, did they actually win?

Matt Holliday slid home with the winning run, but never touched home plate. The ONE RUN that propelled the Rocks into this historical post season run should never have counted. The game goes to the 14th inning and who knows what happens...

Should the MLB institute a replay system for homeruns/basecalls? I believe putting a replay system in for balls/strikes would take too much away from the game and cause the game to be even longer...but with an effective replay system, the Padres would not have had their season end on an apatheic call by umpire badboy Tim McClelland.

I'm merely setting up the conversation and debate. What are your thoughts?

I believe replay should stay out of the game...while it has been labeled "unpure" due to HGH, steroids, Bonds etc...one true part of the game is the human element and it should stay that way.

Paging Dr. Goodell

Here comes a true test for NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell in dealing with the scheduled game between the Houston Texans and the San Diego Chargers in fire-ravaged Southern California.

Fortunately, he has quite a precedent in looking at past decisions dealing with the nexus of sports and national disasters. From the assassination of JFK (Rozelle deemed his decision to not postpone the games the worst of his life), to the 1981 NCAA title game during the assassination attempt of Reagan, to the attacks of 9/11, to Hurricane Katrina, sports commissioners have had to make the tough decision of how and when the games will go on.

Qualcomm Stadium is currently a disaster refugee site. See the amazing first-hand picture here. The games cannot be played here. A make up date later in the schedule is unlikely too. They could play the game in the first week of the playoffs, but that would be taking a massive risk that neither team would be playoff eligible.

Potential game sites have ranged from Los Angeles Coliseum to Monster Park in San Francisco to Arizona's Sun Devil Stadium (The Cardinals stadium is hosting a motorcycle rally), to Texas Stadium in Irving, to Reliant Stadium in Houston. I am certain Goddell will not choose Houston as that would give the Texans a 9th home game and would replicate the mistake his predecssor Tags made in having the Saints 'host' the Giants at the Meadowlands. Look for the game to be held in Arizona, where the Chargers are currently practicing.

Commisioner, the sports world is waiting on your move. Make it with deceny, decisiveness, and fairness.

There's Only One October...

After a college bowl game length break, the Senior Circuit Champion Rockies visit the AL Champ Red Sox tonight to start Game One of the Fall Classic.

Who you got?

The Rockies team, touched by God? Winners of 21 of the last 22?



Or the BoSox, win their $143M payroll? The team with the momentum? The team with a reputation for beating up senior citizens?




Early Vegas lines put the Sox at -220 and the Rox at +180. Even with all the analysts calling this a mismatch, I have to think that the Rockies stand a chance. If they can get by Beckett tonight, they will be well on their way to winning it at Coors in five.

What's your prediction?

The proper place for trash talk

Gentlemen,

I officially want to apologize to you all. No, not for T-flowing my Pick'em record...we all know my prowess in the field of mathematics (and yes, I include simple addition in that). But rather for starting an email crap-storm. Trash talk should be regulated to this blog instead of clogging up our inboxes.

In that spirit, I want to get the ball rolling. I present to you a short dramatic scene:

Mr. Bengalsfan enters. He is dressed in a 1988 AFC Championship shirt which is now obviously too small for him. There are many small stains on it from all the dried tears (some of which may actually be the long left over remains of a 4-way bean). Mr. Bengalsfan carries on his shoulders the weight of over ambitious expectations, unfulfilled delusions of grandeur, and Marvin Lewis' remaining contract.

Mr. Bengalsfan (half- heartedly): Who dey? Who dey think gon' beat dem Begnals!? Who dey?

He repeats this over and over, perhaps trying to convince himself of something.

Mr. Steelersfan enters. He is a suave, educated, man of the world with rugged good looks and fantastic taste. He moves and smiles easily, with a manner befitting a FIVE TIME world champion. He knows that everyone secretly respects the hell out of him, but perhaps can't say it for fear of betraying their hometown loyalties.

Mr. Steelersfan (seeing Mr. Bengalsfan): Oh...hello. Ummm...can I help you? You look rather lost. Can I give you some spare change to buy a cup of coffee...or perhaps a linebacker who'd rather pick up a sack than another DUI.

Mr Bengalsfan: Who dey? Who dey think gon' beat dem Begnals!?

Mr. Steelersfan: I'm...sorry...I don't quite understand. Are you?...Is that English?

Mr. Bengalsfan: Who dey think gon' beat dem Begnals!?

Mr. Steelersfan: Oh...I think I understand. Ummm...Cleveland?

Mr. Bengalsfan: .....

Mr. Steelersfan: Seattle? New England?

Mr. Begnalsfan: .....

Mr. Steelersan: Kansas City.

Mr. Bengalsfan: ...Who...dey?

Mr. Steelersfan: Ummm....We dey? Remember?...Santonio Holmes. Overtime touchdown...kept you out of the playoffs last year? But don't worry. You won't have that problem again this year...We will go ahead and clinch the division by Week 13. That will make it easier for you. You look like you could use a rest...and a hot meal.

Mr. Bengalsfan: .....

CURTAIN!

I smell a Tony! (not Ronaldi)

What the F--k?!?

With the college basketball season right around the corner, the NCAA just tweaked their rules regarding proper behavior while on the bench. Read about in the NY Times Here.

According to the NCAA, here are some of the behaviors that can be considered unsportsmanlike and spark a technical foul without warning:

• Talking to an official in a disrespectful manner; Trying to influence an official’s decision;

• Using profanity or language that is abusive, vulgar or obscene;

• Objecting to an official’s decision by rising from the bench or excessively using gestures that either demonstrate officiating signals or displeasure with officiating;

Really? Is this really a problem in major college athletics? When asked for clarification, the NCAA stated that even if an official hears profanity from a coach directed within a huddle to his own players, that was grounds for a no-warning technical.

Watch out Coach K. Myles Brand wants to give you the ole Ivory Gargle.

The Point of No Return

Pitcher of Record

Baseball is the most intricate and detail oriented sport in America (Cricket has it beat, but I am not worried about sticky wickets). It is that detail that makes it great, and frustrating. Its detail is one of the reasons the modern fan does not appreciate baseball because they are either too stupid or too impatient to understand the nuances. However there are some rules that make absolutely no sense, and were obviously made in the 1800’s. The rule that bothers me the most is the rule behind the pitcher of record.

In order to earn a win as a starter you must go 5 innings. If you go under that you do not qualify, regardless of the score. You can lose if you go under 5, but not win. By itself that rule does not seem intimidating, or complicated, or jaded or whatever you want to call it. The problem arises when it comes time to decide who does actually win.

The part of the rule that gets me is if a starting pitcher leaves a game with his team winning before he pitches 5 innings, he is still ineligible for the win, even if the score does not change. In that situation, it is up to the discretion of the official scorekeeper to declare the pitcher of record. Therefore the official scorekeeper decides which relief pitcher did the most to contribute to the win, and that pitcher gets the win. But the starting pitcher cannot get the win. So as long as the score never ties and the lead never changes, the official scorekeeper decides the winner.

So here is my problem, didn’t the starting pitcher contribute the most to the win? Didn’t he do enough for his team to win? Shouldn’t that be the measure of who gets the win? In the logic of the rule some guy who comes in with 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th and gets 1 out can get the win for only facing 1 batter, but the starter who went 4 2/3rds innings and only let up 1 run can’t get the win. Also by that logic, every subsequent pitcher can give up 2 or more runs, thus giving up more runs than the starter, but as long as the lead does not change the official scorekeeper still must chose someone to get the win, and it can’t be the starter.

The starter can leave a game with the score 2-1 in the 5th with a blister, and by the end of the game the score is 25-17 he still can’t get the win. He could have the least earned runs, most innings pitched and most strikeouts of entire staff for the night, and still not win. I think that is a travesty of the rule system.

This is obviously an archaic rule hearkening back to the days before regular relief appearances and fragile starters. For Cy Young to not go 5 innings he either had to give up like 20 runs or get shot by Ty Cobb. Back then I understand the rule. But today it makes no sense. So shouldn’t we change the rule?

I have 2 possible solutions. First we can change the rule to read that a starting pitcher can only win if he leaves the game with his team ahead (pending runners and earned runs factored in), but there is no minimum. Or, we change the ‘win’ stat to reflect who earned the win, the starter win (SW) or the relief win (RW). For example if a starter goes only 3 innings, but his team never trails and wins the game he can earn a SW. But if a reliever comes in and cleans up the mess he earns a RP. This would fix the problem and add a new stat for fantasy junkies and Elias to track.

At the end of the day this situation only happens a handful of times a season, but with fantasy championships and players’ salaries tied to these stats, every win counts. Just think, if they kept those stats maybe ‘The Loogy’ would have won.

How Hot is that Seat, Exactly?

On the heels of the news from ProFootballTalk's Mike Florio that Ocho Cinco wants out at the end of the season, one must wonder exactly what Marvin Lewis has to do to get on the hot seat with Bengals management. From a sports gambling website, I looked at the odds of who will be the first coach fired. Surprisingly, Marvin was not in the top ten! I know that Cincinnati is in a glee considering that we have become the first city in American sporting history to have an African-American MLB manager and NFL head coach at the same time, but that situation cannot trump performance.

Marvin, brought in as a defensive guru, leads the third-worst defense in the entire NFL. The offense, which he is remarkably hands-off, has thrived. Yet he doesn't endure the same criticism that he may deserve because of his affable relationship with the local business, religious leaders and press.

"My job is to get the junior college guys to act like they've gone to Notre Dame and Michigan," Lewis said. "As we go, we'll continue to get more of those stable guys. But unfortunately, that's what we're dealing with -- a bunch of junior college guys."

Hmm.. you know what that sounds like? What's that expression that is often bantered around immoral and failing college programs? Oh yeah... Lack of Institutional Control.

Marvin, the bloom is off the rose. Start coaching like your job's on the line. We can all only hope that it is.