At What Cost?

The world of politics has always been a passion of mine. I have studied it, followed it and have become involved enough to have seen the “backroom” side of things. One cannot help but feel that the greatest ability to affect change in our country is to become a part of the process. After being a part of Election ‘08’ in a large capacity I have walked away with a single, solitary question. At what cost?

What are we willing to pay for a change in our country? It seems that we are willing to pay for it with the lives of millions of American babies. Hey the new administration doesn’t plan on discriminating based on age. If they have it their way you can kill your unborn child by partial birth right up until the time your water breaks as long as the head doesn’t come out all the way.

It seems we are willing to pay for change with our right to the personal health care of our choice. But hey when you are waiting in line for three weeks to have that broken arm fixed like some in Canada and Europe have had to do, just remember to say to yourself “Yes we can”. I mean there isn’t a shortage of healthcare professionals in America is there? Up until now, the countries that have the health care system being proposed have sent their leaders to America for health care because of the lines and the lack of guarantee that they would see the Doctor they wanted or needed to. Interesting. Where are we supposed to send our leaders or better yet your parent or child? India…? Mexico…?

Maybe we are willing to pay for change with our freedom of speech. Yeah that’s it. If we can’t preach the gospel the way the Bible tells it that will make our country better. Lets vote in a candidate that wants to sign hate speech legislation that will make it illegal to preach against homosexuality, sin or to preach that hell is real. Pastor, just make sure as you sit in jail that you raise your voice loud and proud while you shout “Yes we can”. I mean come on this is change we can believe in right?

Quite a tab we are running up now isn’t it?

If I had time I would tell you about Gay marriage, cutting military funding by 25 percent, lack of support for Israel and oh yes my personal favorite the Islamic and radical ties that helped propel the largest campaign in the history of presidential elections. But let’s stay off those hot button issues and push the economy button. Let’s look at a promise for cutting taxes in the middle class. Sure everyone is going to get a tax cut, but did anyone mention that that tax cut is to come after the Bush tax cuts are removed? The government, Wall Street and predatory lenders got us into this mess, but don’t worry guys the American people will reach even further into their hole laden pockets to pick up the check. No really “Yes we can!”

I decided to stand outside a few polling places on Tuesday with a few simple pieces of paper to hand out. On the paper was printed the stances of the two candidates running for office. As I stood there I simply talked to some people. Nothing pushy. Just asking questions as they walked by. In conversation I met people of every race and economic status. Teachers, lawyers, pastors, factory workers, fast food employees and students of every color were all part of this conversation. My question was simple, direct, disarming even. How are you doing today? I see you have made a decision to vote. Have you decided whom to vote for yet? I got the range of possible answers to which I followed up; Really which of their stances on the issues really made you want to vote for them? “Well I just feel John McCain would make a better president” I heard. “You know I just want the complete opposite of George Bush” another one said. “Well to be honest I just want a chance to be a part of making history one woman told me.” Hmm…

I asked one pastor a few questions beginning with “what was it, the stance on abortion, Israel, gay marriage or hate speech that you agreed with the most? He looked at me like I was from another planet. “I don’t understand, what do you mean?” he said. “You know the fact that your candidate agrees with the homosexual agenda, abortion, and hate speech legislation that will limit your ability to preach the gospel. I was just wondering which one of those things lined up with the ministry you are currently representing?” I got another answer that felt like a punch in the stomach. He looked at me with a look of horror and said “I was unaware of the fact that he supported the hate speech legislation.” Hmm…

I’ve been told that I should relax and not worry about the decision that was made on November 4th. That everything will work itself out. That I need to appreciate the fact that history is being made before my own eyes. I’ve been told it will be ok, just because he is a black man doesn’t mean he is going to break the country. I have been called racist and untrusting because of the race of a man I oppose, and that could not be the furthest thing from the truth. Ladies and gentleman I am the furthest thing from a racist that there is in the world. Many of my closest friends are of other races than my own. Collectively we look like a rainbow when assembled. To be honest if the coin were flipped and the candidates switched views and the election had come out the opposite I would be sitting here writing the same thing about John McCain. Lord knows I wanted to have an awesome Barack Obama, rockstar t-shirt just like everybody else, but the coin isn’t flipped and we are sitting here with one question; at what cost?

Many Christians Caucasian, African-American, Hispanic, Asian and so on went into this election uninformed about the real issues that were at stake. We voted against someone who wasn’t even running, or for someone because we wanted to make history. Maybe you knew the issues and still went the direction you did and to that thank you for at least being informed. But I must say freely that we have to pay yet another price. We have got to bow our knees and pray for our new president. We have got to stand up and make our voices heard on these issues, and demand that the godly principles we were founded on as a nation be kept and or restored. We have got to pay the price in prayer and diligent action concerning these things. We have no right to complain because we as a nation have chosen our leaders, but we do have a right to petition. Petition heaven and when necessary petition our leaders to see our rights and our morals protected in this country. To that I say “Yes We Can!” Yes we can change our nation! Yes we can come together as a nation regardless of race or gender, finances or social status! Yes we can see America turn to Christ! So what is the answer to this question we face? Everything. It is going to cost us everything we’ve got spiritually to make it happen. We are going to have to stand when it’s not easy and bow when it would be easier to stand. It may be difficult, but that’s hope for a brighter future.

Buying In to Old School in a Bear Market

I went home to visit the folks last week. It’s always good to get back to your roots, see the family and remember where you came from. One thing I got from the visit was an education in "old school". I always considered myself to be "old school". I still read the paper, prefer American products even if I have to pay a bit more and can easily be set off on a tangent if I hear an over paid, loudmouth athlete like Terrell Owens whine about not making what he’s worth. But that’s not "old school". I'm talking Ted Williams, leave baseball in the prime of your career to fight in a war for your country "old school".

Growing up in the city of Pittsburgh I found myself surrounded by tradition, loyalty and pride. Where did all those principles come from? The old school my friend. Plain and simple. People who grew up in mill towns, and believing in the American way. They buy American cars, refuse to bag products that say made in China and would rather be hung naked from the hot metal bridge than outsource what they can get right here at home. The "old school" won the "old school" way. They grew homegrown guys and cultivated them into the best players they could be, and the teams with the best farm systems won.

Loyalty, a concept as foreign as making steel in Pittsburgh these days has become the “old school” way of doing business. Players spent their entire careers with one team. The players were loyal to the team and the team was loyal to its players. These are all things that are far from the norm in a day where teams that have spent over 200 million dollars on free agents cannot make the playoffs. It is nothing to see small market teams like the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Florida Marlins become little more than Triple-A farm-teams for the big spenders.

Yet, in the midst of “new school” despotism where the rich take and the poor give the “old school” has emerged once again showing us all the way home. The Tampa Bay Rays have the second lowest payroll in Major League Baseball ($43,820,598). Yet they managed to beat the Yankees who have the highest payroll in baseball ($209,081,579), and the Red Sox with the 4th largest payroll ($133,440,037) to win the AL East. They managed to wade through the American League Playoffs with little trouble up until a momentary snag late in the ALCS. Now the Rays are poised to take their “old school show” to the city of brotherly love for a good old-fashioned street fight.

How are they able to accomplish what other teams can’t? It’s quite simple really. They have spent the time accumulating and cultivating top draft picks into top-level talent. They have spent money on a few cheap free agents that can still play baseball and provide veteran leadership. Then they got them all to believe in this crazy concept called a team. From the top to the bottom of the roster everyone worked all season. When injuries hit the team (and they hit them hard) another guy stepped up and got the job done. They believed in something greater than personal interest. There’s another foreign concept, the realization that serving the greater good is truly serving every personal interest you could ever have. Every one of these guys has found greater stardom and more notoriety this season than anyone of them could have ever had looking out for number one.

Here’s the “BottomLine” sports fans. The Rays have taken “old school” principles and turned a city that could have cared less about baseball into a baseball town. They have captured the hearts of America and they accomplished everything they did without losing their shirts in the process. The ownership in Tampa Bay needs a monument built in their honor because they had the guts to do what other small market management rarely does. They had the intelligence to take the best value for the pick during the rough years. They put money in their farm system to develop those players. Then they spent the money it took to keep the players they developed even when the higher bidders were out there offering to take them away for a discount price in order for them to make money in a town where there was higher attendance at the neighborhood high-school football games. Who’s making the dough now boys? Here’s to the Tampa Bay Rays for buying in to "old school" in a bear market.

The Army of One Will Never Be Greater Than The Army of Many

Caleb Campbell is more than just a soldier. He’s an officer. As a second Lieutenant in the United States Army he spends most of his days doing an unusual job when you think of the military in a time of war. He roams the football field surrounded by piping whistles. Unfortunately for Campbell he is on the wrong football field, and the whistle is in his mouth instead of being blown at him.

The tale is somewhat of a feel-good story turned nightmare. A story that takes backroom politics to another level. If you haven’t heard by now Caleb Campbell was one of the better Safeties in Division I football just one year ago. A Cadet at the West Point Military Academy, Caleb finished his senior season with 97 tackles (finished top 10 all time at Army). He was selected to the East-West Shrine Game highlighting the nations best collegiate football players, and attended the NFL Scouting Combine where he ran the 40 in 4.5 seconds. He has the makings of a pro.

Due to the “Alternative Service Option” (ASO) (an Army policy that allows for an athlete at the academy to pursue a career in professional sports and serve as a recruiter rather than assuming traditional military duties upon graduation), Campbell was going to get to realize his dream of doing battle on the gridiron rather than on the war torn streets of Bagdad, if he got drafted. “If…” Such a powerful word for only two letters isn’t it?

Campbell signed with an agent (Jimmy Sexton) and made his way to New York City’s Radio City Music Hall for the draft. He was national news. The blue-collar kid from the small hometown was staying home from the war. The "war opposers" said we saved one. The soldiers past and present cheered for “one of their own” to be the first athlete drafted from West Point in over 10 years. It was a win-win situation and Caleb Campbell was the beneficiary.

When day two of the draft rolled around Campbell was sitting tight waiting to get a phone call. It would only take one call to change his life. Then, in the 7th and final round the phone rang and the end to every apprehension was over. The Detroit Lions had taken Caleb with the 218th overall pick. His future was clear. He would sign a contract with the Lions and serve as an Army recruiter in the Detroit area to make good on his four-year commitment to the United States Army.

Caleb went through mini-camp and turned some heads doing it. He showed up at training camp in Allen Park, Michigan with one thought on his mind; making an impression on the minds of the coaches. If he gets cut he is out of shoulder-pads and strapping up army boots quicker than you can whistle “The Army Goes Rolling Along.”

Then the phone rang a second time. It wasn’t supposed to ring a second time. Caleb Campbell heard his agent’s voice on the other end and the news was bad. The Army had changed the ASO policy. He was being called back into traditional military duty.

The policy changed. No explanation. But, some stuff went down behind closed doors that was backroom politics at its worst. An example was being made and it was being made of Caleb Campbell. Just like that Campbell went from being a Lion to a Soldier again.

So was Campbell the promising young officer put on the front lines of a combat zone to protect his country from terror? Was he stationed, deployed or otherwise sent off to do what he was trained for the last four years to do? Nope. He will serve this season as a graduate assistant football coach with Army. Instead of playing in the NFL and recruiting other young people to serve their country through the positive PR he was creating he is standing on a secluded football field as a graduate assistant doing his country a "greater good".

I love those Army commercials that talk about reaching your potential, being an army of one and gaining life experience that will prepare you for any job you want. Yep, Caleb is sure reaching his potential sitting and waiting for 2010 when he can request release from active duty.

Here is the bottom line. The army made a spectacle of Caleb Campbell to prove their power. The Army of one will never be greater than the army of many and don’t you forget it Caleb Campbell and anyone who was looking up to you. They sent a message loud and clear to every young man considering the military academy. You are meaningless to us. Your future, your well-being and the potential you possess are inconsequential. But we expect you to abandon all for the sake of this uniform.

The real thing that happened here is simple. The army gave themselves a black eye, and messed over Caleb Campbell in the process. Caleb still faces the chance of being put into combat, but says he plans to keep working and will be ready to play in 2010 if he gets the opportunity (Again with this word "if"). That is anything but easy to do, but I sure hope someone gives him that chance. You deserve it Caleb, and thank you for your service to our country even if they don’t deserve it sometimes.

Don't Sleep On This Carolina Hurricane

Every year in the NFL there seems to be an unheard of player that comes in under the radar and becomes a national phenomenon. A guy that most would say has one thing or another that will prevent him from becoming noteworthy. He’s not fast enough, not strong enough, has too little experience and most recently the fad has been he’s too small to hold up.

Then guys like Maurice Jones-Drew come in with nicknames like “Mighty Mouse” dawning red capes and overcoming their one shortcoming to become larger than life. Once they are on the radar teams game-plan for them, design offenses for them, we sign them to our fantasy teams and before long they are in Hawaii doing the Hula in the end-zone at the Pro-Bowl.

How often do we see a guy that is 5’9 on stilts, 209 pounds soaking wet that sat the bench in college at a school where they would rather watch basketball than breath and went undrafted turn into one of the best backs in the league? By every standard he is too small, not strong enough, certainly not experienced enough and no one even believed he was worth a 7th round draft pick. Yet Willie Parker has overcome all of these things to not only step into the oversized shoes of Jerome Bettis, but fill them without ever warranting criticism from loyal “bus fans”.

“Fast Willie” has taken his 4.2 speed and turned himself into a little black and gold bowling ball running around, between and through defenders for 4,012 and 19 touchdowns in the last 3 years. If he were just a few inches taller folks would be comparing him to Adrian Peterson as far as athletic ability, strength and speed. He led the NFL in rushing yards most of last season until he broke his leg in the first quarter of a week 16 game against the Rams. Over the off-season he was criticized heavily for his “lack of ability” to score touchdowns. Many experts said he was not an elite back yet again, and said Rashard Mendenhall would eventually take his job. Yet again Willie has proven to be what everyone said he wasn’t and couldn’t be. He began the season for the 2-0 Steelers by rushing for 138 yards and scoring three touchdowns against the Texans. Sunday night versus the Browns Parker came out and gave the Steelers another 100 plus yard performance on a night that boasted 60 MPH winds and gave little promise of throwing the ball all over the yard as the Steelers are now capable of doing.

Ladies and gentlemen allow me to introduce you to Fast Willie Parker. If he is not a blip on your radar screen yet I would suggest you take another look. Willie is blowing by defenses with hurricane force this season proving his strength, speed and determination are more than enough to wreak havoc wherever he decides to make landfall. Don’t sleep on this Carolina Hurricane because he is well on his way to a 2nd straight Pro-Bowl selection and a place among the elite backs in the league.

Putting the "Real" in Reality Show

Tell me if this doesn’t sound like an MTV Reality show waiting to happen.

A young man works his way through spring drills, beats out six other kids to win the starting quarterback position, and sits poised to take his team to high-school glory. Enter the hotshot transfer with a famous father. All the attention shifts to the school’s new “golden boy”. The stage is set for serious drama right? Not yet.

Try throwing another superstar athlete’s quarterback son into the mix, and then remember this one other thing, a movie star’s son is that promising sophomore wide-receiver that college scouts are drooling over two years too early.

Now you’re just being ridiculous. Who would believe this story?

I do and so should you according to the new enrollment documents at Oaks Christian School in California. The upscale private school that produced Notre Dame quarterback Jimmie Clausen now has a quarterback battle that includes several high-profile last names.

Here is the cast for a sure to be MTV reality show:

The quarterback from the scenario that won the job in spring drills is last year’s transfer Tony Macarena. Macarena transferred to Oaks Christian from St. Bonaventure and won the job from a six-way battle. The feelings of having earned his spot and the new guys stealing his thunder could make him into the scorned upperclassman with a major chip on his shoulder.

The Transfer with the famous father is none other than Trevor Gretzky. Name ring a bell? I am sure that it does if you have turned on a television set in the last 20 years. Trevor is the son of hockey legend Wayne Gretzky. Trevor is no slouch at the position. Neither is his sister, who is pretty much a super-model with an incredible golf swing. He will play the “golden boy” that everyone roots for because his dad is, well, to put it plainly, the “great one”.

Now it all gets hairy. Now the stuff hits the fan. Here comes the kid that has more pedigree than a fancy dog show. The latest transfer to Oaks Christian is none other than Nicholas Montana. The 6 foot 2, junior quarterback is the son of NFL Hall of Famer and four-time Super Bowl champion Joe Montana. Nick was the starting JV Quarterback at the NFL player factory known as Concord De La Salle last year before he decided to start looking at private schools with a more pass-oriented attack. After visiting Newbury Park High last week he filed his application to Oaks Christian creating a serious cluster of talent at the quarterback position for Coach Bill Redell.
Who’s the “golden boy” now Trevor?

Throw the name Trey Smith into the mix and now you have representation of “The Great One”, “The Comeback King” and “The Fresh Prince” all on the same team. How’s that for a royal lineage?
Trey Smith is the son of actor/entertainer Will Smith, and you can be sure he is a chip off the old block when it comes to a flare for entertainment. The sophomore Wide-out is pretty well recognized for his skills already, and will be the biggest weapon in the arsenal of whoever gets the starting job behind center this fall for Oaks Christian.

One thing is for darn sure. I would not want to be in Coach Redell’s shoes. No matter what choice he makes there is going to be some serious drama. I would look for one of the three QB’s to transfer while the other two have an old west shoot out at the Oaks Christian Corral this August.

A Cloud of Filth

The early part of this week played out just like an old film. The railroad tracks were set. The train was charging with a full head of steam, and the underdog was laying on the tracks without hope of shedding his tethers and averting his impending doom. This time however, in disappointing fashion, our hero did not evade the iron monster charging toward him. Instead the unstoppable force ran right over the innocent victim spewing a cloud of filth in its wake.

In this case Rocco Mediate laid on the tracks with a slight lead, and the steel tempered force that is Tiger Woods laid waste to the absurd hopes that any of us might have had concerning an old fashion nice-guy winning the toughest tournament in the world as he is set to ride off into the sunset. Did anyone expect different?

As for the cloud of filth? Well, let’s just say Tiger’s display on Father’s Day would not have made “Pops” proud should he have been in the gallery. An explosion of emotion on the 18th green that any novice lip reader could clearly tell involved the phrase “f*** yeah!” came after he had embarrassingly thrown his clubs down on 17 in a profanity laced tirade. “Deacon” Palmer (Arnold’s Father) drove all the way to a golf course to inform his son that he would “never pick up another golf club in his life if he ever embarrassed himself and his family like he had” after seeing him do far less than Tiger did Sunday on television.

It goes without saying that Tiger has progressed as a professional golfer in the wake of his father’s passing. Many would say he has clearly separated himself as the best of all-time. Yet, the biggest reason for concern in Tiger’s life is not the knee surgery he ended his season for on Wednesday. It may be the digression Tiger has undergone since the passing of his father. His mentor, friend and very first golf buddy was more than all of those things in his life. It seems that when Earl Woods died so did one of the most important parts of his son Eldrick; the foundation from which he gained his class and character.

I explored the area of Tiger losing class a few months ago when he went berserk on a gallery when a flash bulb went off, but this goes much deeper than all of that. I will paint you a picture here. Slap this on the pallet of your minds eye and take a gander for a second. I am sitting on the living room couch father’s day afternoon with my father, grandfather and of all people my mother watching the final few holes of the US Open. My parents are conservative people, but they are not afraid to speak their minds when need be. The hard working type that gave their family everything they ever needed by the sweat of their brow and faith. Each of them watch golf for different reasons, but they all share one thing in their viewing habits and that is a love for what the game is and should continue to be. It’s a gentleman’s game. Here we are scattered about the room glued to the excitement of our hometown boy Rocco sitting in the cat-bird seat watching the “big cat” attempt to do what he shouldn’t be able to do.

As Tiger comes up to the 17th tee we watched him hit an arrant tee shot into a fairway bunker. It took little more than 3 seconds for the camera shot to leave Tiger and stay off of him for a bit. I looked at my dad and said “the networks have learned their lesson with Tiger. They know they have a short window to show Tiger’s expression before the four letter words start flying.” He looked at me puzzled and asked if I was serious. Without question the next few moments proved my statement. He proceeded to hit a poor shot from the bunker on 17 and slam his club into the sand. I will give him a pass here his knee had to be throbbing and he was frustrated. The ensuing actions of the television shot going away and then coming back to him throwing his club down on the bag while swearing and pouting like a small child that didn’t get his way was ridiculous. My grandfather, a quiet old Italian man who is no stranger to a hot-headed response to anything having grown up Ghotti sat and shook his head in disgust, as my dad muttered something about getting the poor baby a diaper and a pacifier to calm down his tantrum.

By the end of the round Tiger had sunk a put to tie Rocco Mediate and force a playoff, but he brought my mother out of her seat as he went on to scream F-Yeah in the face of his caddie. “Did he say what I think he said?” my mother asked in disbelief. I was hopeful that the lip reading we had all done was the result of our amateur skills, but as they replayed it over and over and over again we got to enjoy reliving the moment enough times be sure my mother no longer liked Tiger Woods. Though the men were less animated I watched them closely. My grandfather still shaking his head rolled his eyes and looked at my dad who shrugged back in disbelief. “What do you think about that Pap?” my dad asked? The old man began to deliver an Ode to the game of golf that comes from countless afternoons watching the guys knock it around. I believe the words “disrespectful”, “classless” and “it never used to be this way” highlighted his speech.

The bottom-line here is simple. No one is perfect, and I am the last person to claim to be so. I do however have the respect and the class it takes to do my job with a level of dignity and pride in the tradition of my profession. That is why I am still sitting here with a hope that the underdog will rise from an impossible situation, screaming like old Mickey did on the side of the boxing ring in the Rocky movies. “Come on Rocco. Come on!” It’s not going to happen. Tiger hoisted the trophy, but once just once it would be nice if something could derail the filth spewing, unstoppable machine that is Tiger Woods.

Maybe we should be shouting come on Tiger! Quit acting like a bum and regain the character your father instilled in you your whole life! Dang it Tiger, Come On. You’re BETTER THAN THIS!!!!

Putting Glory On Ice

Lets put glory on ice for a minute, or is that possible these days? Did anyone know that the NHL had playoffs, and that they were going on? Apparently no one told the major networks because they have done no justice to professional hockey in their coverage of the game or its players. Crying out loud I tried to get an update on one of their websites and didn’t even see a mention of the NHL Playoffs.

Over the course of the last two weeks we could have seen the game’s second coming of Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux make their first playoff pushes towards hoisting a Stanley Cup Trophy. Sydney Crosby (Pittsburgh) and Alexander Ovechkin (Washington) have made one spectacular play after another, but who saw it?

It brings me back to one of those goofy questions that ponder whether or not a tree makes a noise if it falls in the woods and no one is there to hear it. Umm… well… is hockey back in a major way if no one gets to see it? Heck yeah it is, and you can thank the young stars of the game for doing it!

I don’t claim to be a fortune teller, but I have been known to make a few predictions, and have them come to be. Let me jump on that soapbox just long enough to scream this prediction to the masses; Sydney Crosby and the amazing mix of young players in Pittsburgh will win the Stanley Cup this year, and they will win the hearts and attention of the masses in the process.

The Pens have three players that are barely 20 years old. All of them are turning into undeniable superstars. Each one comes from a different background, language and set of circumstances to become the present and the future of the NHL.

Crosby has been a prodigy since he could walk. He grew up loving hockey in a country that hangs its hat on three national icons; hockey, those Mountie guys with the red coats and Canadian bacon. Well lets just say Sydney Crosby brings home the bacon Canada.

Evgeni Malkin grew up playing hockey in Russia. He went back there during the lockout and almost didn’t get back due to threats from the Russian mob. He fled with his mother to the states, battled the language barrier and became an all-star in the absence of Sydney Crosby (injury) for most of this season. Basically Geno came, he grew and he conquered on his way to scoring 106 points this season.

Marc-Andre Fleury has been the question mark all season. He was the number one overall pick a few years ago, stayed in the AHL for a while and then stuck in the pros last year before the wheels came off in the playoffs. This year he ended up with an injury that sidelined him for most of the season, and many questioned what he could do after he came back and played poorly late in the season. Since then, well, lets just say he has been nearly impenetrable in the net sweeping the Senators in the first round of the playoffs (including a 4-0 shutout). The kid is like Gumby between the pipes and undoubtedly could become the next great French-Canadian goaltender in the league ah la Patrick Roy.

These three guys combined with the fact that the Pens have the best mix of veteran leadership and youthful athleticism in the league. They are fun to watch, and even more so in the playoffs as their enthusiasm and energy is contagious to everyone watching.

The BottomLine here is that the young guys have brought the game back. It’s faster, stronger, and the scoring is better than ever. The coverage has got to come back too. They have earned it and frankly they deserve it. Hockey is no longer the forgotten, runt little brother out of the four major sports in America. In fact I would rather watch the rebounded NHL than Major League Baseball or the NBA any day of the week. The NHL seems to have a bigger, brighter future with its young stars and its faster style of play than their major counterparts, and no body has said anything about steroids, shooting people in strip clubs or beating their wives up. Go figure, hockey players are suppose to be the goons.

Turn em’ on and see for yourself.

A Self-less Act

Someone finally got it right. In the world of the College Coaching Carousel where coaches that have success are leaving school faster than the players, we finally see a guy do the right thing.

The Kansas Jayhawks won the national title in dramatic fashion Monday night, and before the press conference that night there were already rumors of Oklahoma State offering him a blank check and incentives to turn his alma-mater around.

Just an aside here, but is anyone else concerned about the coaching situation in Collegiate Sports? Is there a profession in the world where a man can sign a legal and binding contract to work for an organization for a certain length of time, and then bolt to a competing organization for more money before the termination of that contract? If there is such a job it is rare.

Today Bob Self chose to do it the right way. He went to the University and made his case. He showed them the facts and figures, and worked with them to come up with a solution that gave his current program the opportunity to retain his services.

It’s fair for him to ask for more money. For crying out loud he is no longer a national championship caliber coach, he is a national championship-winning coach. His measly 1.3 million dollar a year pay that won’t even reach 2 million dollars now that he met all of his incentives just won’t cut it in comparison with the bloated salaries of Roy Williams, Ben Howland and Memphis coach John Calipari.

In the end Bob Self signed a new contract with Kansas that undoubtedly came close to the offer at Oklahoma State. T. Boone Pickens the Oklahoma State’s wealthiest booster came in with a personal offer of paying the likes of 6 million dollars in a signing bonus, and around 6 years and 26 million dollars in salary.

The BottomLine sports fans Bob Self deserves a standing ovation for what he was able to do quietly in less than a week. He got his money, and he deserved it. He showed some loyalty to the school that gave him his break under Larry Brown, and gave him his “dream job” a short time ago. He sent a message to Jayhawks fans, his players and the nation by showing some integrity and showing them that he really wanted to stay put in Kansas. All this aside the one thing he did was think about his players, not only the current ones, but his recruits. He refused to be what everyone hates Rich Rodriquez for being. He refused to lie to them, he refused to bag out on what he started under contract and he refused to be the guy who sat in their living rooms and sold them on playing for him only to leave before they ever dribbled a basketball on his practice court.

Here’s to Bob Self; A man among men in collegiate coaching.

Growling Back at the Tiger

When you think of the word elite what comes to mind? Better yet if I threw out the phrase elite golfer, what springboards across your cranium? Surely names like Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Gary Player come to mind, and even more assuredly the name Tiger Woods bounces through your head like a pinball. “The Golden Bear”, “Arnie” and “The Black Knight” have all held similar character traits over the course of their historic careers. Steely determination that pushed them through the most impossible circumstances, work ethic that conquered their own fallacies (and magnified the flaws in their competitors), and nerves that seemingly never flinched even under the heaviest pressure and the cruelest conditions made them legends in our time. The trait that kept and keeps them eternally near and dear to our hearts however is their class.

What of Tiger Woods? I mean come on, he has it all. He has the poise, the work ethic and the direct and utter defiance in his attitude that it takes to stare down the gun-barrel of defeat in order to call its bluff. One trait that that seems to elude the world’s number one player and arguably the greatest of all time however, is class.

Sure Tiger dresses well. We seem to take for granted his Sunday red. Sure he’s worth millions. We seem to forget how many millions he gives away to charities and foundations every year. He refuses to be the flamboyant, outspoken person that he could be knowing he is the best man in the world at his profession. Or did we all forget that Tiger doesn’t speak out on politics, religion and social issues? It seems that this young, beautiful, outrageously wealthy man goes home at night to his
super-model wife and his adorable baby girl still lacking the one thing that made those who came before him immortal.

What the heck are you talking about here?!?! You just named every trait our society calls class for crying out loud! Yes I did my friends, but I never mentioned him treating people well. I never mentioned looking at the people who make his millions for him by buying his clothing line, his car endorsements and his really crappy razors (Does anybody else hate that dumb commercial with Roger Federer as much as I do?). Instead he looks right through them on tournament days before, during and after the round. He never acknowledges well wishes, adoration or anything of the like. Conversely the only people he tends to notice in the gallery are those who have a flash on their camera.

I wrestled over addressing this issue for quite a while because I respect Tiger and what he has done for this game. I am tackling this issue now because I have had my fill with his crying, fussing and cussing on national television. It started out as the occasional profanity after hitting a stray driver off the tee or the rare approach shot that left him in the sand, but now it is becoming common place. As it becomes more outrageous so does his choice of words. I really started to notice it at last year’s US Open at Oakmont. The week was peppered full of four letter words and phrases that rhymed with grass and itch. Many of us chalked it up to the stress of his wife’s impending labor and overlooked it, but now it simply cannot be overlooked anymore.

Just a couple of weeks ago Tiger flipped out on a photographer in such a way that it would even make John Daly turn around on his barstool and take notice. I believe the words were “I will break your f***ing neck!” That’s right it’s mid-afternoon on national television, golf fans of all ages are watching with anticipation of Tiger pulling off another incredible victory, and out of nowhere with no time for the networks to do a thing about it we hear the ambassador of the world’s classiest game dropping the F-bomb like he’s in the middle of World War III.

Given the chance to apologize on ESPN’s “First Take” morning show he balked at the idea of admitting his wrong doing as if he were above answering to anyone for his actions on the golf course. “In the heat of competition things like that can happen” Tiger explained. No Tiger. Things like this do not happen. They have never happened before, and they should never happen again. When did you ever hear Jack turn around and scream obscenities at someone in the gallery, let alone do it on national TV with kids who idolize him watching? You didn’t because he didn’t. When did Gary Player ever scream out this type of language during a Major Event when the course was getting the best of him? Oh wait a minute there was that time… wait, no, sorry that was a pizza dream… it never happened!

The bottom line here Tiger is quite simple. You are and continue to be the best golfer in the world. There are many people in the world that have and are learning to appreciate this sport for the gentleman’s game that it is. They are going to watch because they love the sport and they want to see the amazing things you can do. People love to see history in the making. They are watching you, and they are not watching to see you make history by bringing “R” rated language to Sunday afternoon sporting events.

Who else can chip it, spin it and putt it like you do? Jack couldn’t, neither could Palmer or Player, but one thing they could do was tell the difference between inside words and outside words. You could give any one of them lessons on how to play this game, but take a lesson from the ol’ boys now and then, especially on the subject of class. No one faults you for being angry at the situation. Just handle it like the royalty you call company up there on top of the golf world. It could be the next challenge for you in a sport that has got to be getting boring. Develop the unshakable focus to hit 200 yard iron shots into the hole with flash bulbs blazing in your eyes. Talk about taking your game to another level. If anyone could do it you could, and I would pay money to take a child to watch you make it happen in a “PG” rated way. In the end you are too bright of a star, too great of a guy and far too blessed to be anything but a class act on and off the golf course. Let’s call an end to this behavior before the crowds start growling back at the Tiger.

Roger That Big Fella

Ah the delicate and over used subject of steroids in baseball has reared it's ugly head once again. This time the boogieman has returned with a vengeance. Former Senator George Mitchell has pinned the tail on the donkey by naming more names in his report than Jose Canseco could remember to put in his book. Unfortunately the real jackass with a bow and a tail hanging from his behind is one of the games most heralded superstars, Roger Clemens.

Since the report came out there has been no refute of the accusations made by George Mitchell. Except of course the very angry and public comments made by the lone-star pitcher. Clemens is trying to make a case of his innocents, but really the only progress made in the situation is Roger casing himself.

Say it ain't so Rog, say it ain't so. Please tell me you did not call your former trainer (the guy who was willing to set you up the first time) and then play the phone call on national television. You got cased Rocket! They guy saw right through you and repeatedly tried to finish the job by setting you up on bribe charges. Please tell me you did not stand on that same press conference platform and use profanities about a rat's posterior when the press did not buy your lame attempts to spin the blame. Please tell me Rocket, tell me you did not go on "60 Minutes" and talk about having a third ear on your forehead because of steroids! Are you serious!? Do you really think anyone is buying this garbage about people doing steroids to look good in a suit standing in the hotel lobby?

Here is "The BottomLine" Roger Clemens is arguably the greatest pitcher to ever play the game of baseball, but he may join the small and illustrious group of the greatest players in history to be held out of the Hall of Fame. The group currently consists of the two greatest players in history. Welcome to the club that consists of the all-time, home-run king in Barry Bonds and Pete Rose who is arguably the greatest all-around player in history. Now the greatest statistical pitcher in the big league record-books is about to become a card carrying member of the club that nobody else wants to join.

If Clemens is innocent he has truly gone about this all wrong. If you act guilty you are guilty in the court of public opinion. The judge and jury is not congress Roger. You are barking up the wrong tree. The real case needs to be made to the public, the baseball fans, the writers. You have got to find a way to be in the public as part of the public. You went from everyone thinking of you as the John Wayne of baseball to being the rat that everyone smells. Comments regarding not caring what the public or the baseball writers think, and saying you don't give a rat's behind about the hall of fame does nothing but give you the image of a self absorbed "meist" that only cares about himself and not the things that are revered in the game that made you who you are. The picture painted here shows Roger Clemens as a guy selfish enough to have done steroids to make his money and gain his fame without regard to who or what he hurts in the process. I mean he doesn't care what they think anyway.

Maybe it's time to turn on a radio and listen to what people are saying about you Roger. Maybe you will see that people want to believe you, but you are making it impossible for them to do so. Maybe, just maybe you could go about this honestly. The public might just "Roger That" big fella.