This Day in History: Nolan Ryan fights Robin Ventura (August 4, 1993)

College basketball never changes

By Mouser the King Cat

College basketball can be entertaining on TV and profitable for schools that play it at a high level. It provides opportunity for players, walk-on or scholarshipped. It can raise students’ spirits on campus and pry open the wallets of alumni.

 

We’re not here today to tamp down enjoyment, just to remind about the river of sleaze that has run beneath the sport since Dr. Naismith blew up the first ball. The latest incident involves Southern Miss and its former coach, Donnie Tyndall. From Inside Higher Ed: 

 

Showing how the pressures of Division I college athletics can breed academic fraud far beyond the walls of a single campus, the university’s basketball staff completed more than 100 assignments in online courses for recruits attending two-year institutions.

 

Dissecting: Southern Miss administrators were not going to allow Tyndall to bring in JUCO players who didn’t have a diploma or enough transferrable credits. So he sent assistants on the road to game the system. Since having the athletes go to class and learn was out of the question, online courses were the ticket. In some cases, Southern Miss paid for those courses. The trail of metadata is fascinating. One athlete in Florida supposedly submitted 30 psychology assignments from Jamaica. One assignment was completed by a graduate assistant’s mother.

 

The NCAA Committee on Infractions threw the book at Southern Miss. Will it similarly cripple North Carolina’s famed basketball program, under a similar investigation? Likely not. CBS would pitch a fit. From Eleanor Myers, a Temple law professor who oversaw the Southern Miss case: 

 

“We’ve been focused very much on academic fraud over the last year. But it’s hard for me to say if it’s on the rise.”

 

It’s not on the rise. It’s always been there, because coaches who lose too many games get fired.

Johnny Manziel Dumped By Agent...Again

Teen baseball player performs CPR, saves coach's life

The Reds entire starting rotation on the DL to start 2016

CBS Sports

The Reds committed to a rebuild last season, most notably trading away Johnny Cueto at the deadline and Todd Frazier in the offseason. Our SportsLine projections have Cincinnati winning only 67 games in 2016. Losing is part of rebuilding, unfortunately.

To make matters worse, the Reds will have five starting pitchers on the disabled list to start the 2016 season.

Five! They have an entire rotation on the DL. Here's the list:
Homer Bailey: Rehabbing from Tommy John surgery.
Anthony DeSclafani: Suffered an oblique strain this spring.
John Lamb: Rehabbing from back surgery.
Michael Lorenzen: Suffered an elbow strain this spring.
Jon Moscot: Suffered an intercostal strain this spring.

READ MORE

Guest Post: 2016 Season Brings Mix of Hope and Nostalgia for This Chicago Cubs Fan

By Dawn

The building excitement among the Chicago Cubs faithful ahead of a 2016 season that feels more promising than any in recent memory will likely prompt many stories like the one you are about to read. My story may not be unique, but it is uniquely mine. It is the story of a fan whose love of the game and a team was nurtured by two very special people: a kind and generous man who never felt the joy of a Cubs World Series win, and a feisty woman who actually saw it happen when she was only 8 and hoped in vain, her whole life, for a repeat.

 

 My grandfather may have been my principal Cubs influence, but he was not the only diehard Cubs fan in the family; he was raised by a pretty serious fan in her own right. My early memories include afternoons spent at Great-Grandma Rose’s house, eating Snickerdoodles, playing Uno and other games at her worn metal kitchen table with oh-so-70’s-vinyl covered chairs, and watching the Cubs. Atop the old tube television sat a prized possession: her framed photo of The Penguin, Ron Cey. It wasn’t autographed, but you would think it was worth a million dollars. She’d kiss it for luck, and if you knew what was good for you, so would you. She didn’t have to convince me to love the Cubs, she was the perfect role model of a true fan. She passed away when I was young, but within her walls I made some of the best early memories of my life.

Long after she had passed, I would watch countless games with my Grandpa. His name was Mush, obviously a nickname…that the entire town called him for most of his 87 years. If you’ve heard cantaloupe referred to as mush melon, you’ll understand the name and have a good idea of his hair color before it grayed. There were countless things that made him special, countless things that he taught me. Perseverance, support of those you love and respect, and hard work were all among those lessons. But a true love of the game (no matter how your team performed) is one that always stuck with me. Even when the Cubs (often) had a losing record, even when they were losing that very game, even when the game was scoreless and did not look promising. Always. One of the things I’d most like to hear him say one more time: “0–0, in favor of the Cubs. It ain’t over, Baby,”

The last summer I visited, we watched every game. He’d sit in his glider and often fall asleep, only to wake up and act like he saw that last big play. I’d sit close by so he could hear me because he was too stubborn to wear his hearing aides by that point. I didn’t bring my girls to a game at Wrigley Field on that trip, but we did walk the perimeter of the Friendly Confines and snapped a lot of pictures during an amazing day in the city. He wouldn’t have tolerated that trip even if he had wanted to go- he knew that- but he was happy they went, and broke into an enormous smile when I showed him the pictures.

 The last time I ever spoke to him was on my birthday in January 2014. My aunt held the phone and he said “Happy birthday, Baby.” Having not spoken much more after that, he passed away 5 days later. As I packed for the funeral, I was struck by the urge to bring him a final gift: a Cubs logo baseball that I felt very strongly belonged with him forever. At the end of the wake, during the last moments we would ever see him, I made my move. A few relatives added treasures when I told them what I had done, possibly* including a screw top beer with which we had toasted him and then left him half. It was a fitting goodbye.

 Many think that baseball is a game for kids and to some extent I agree. I am a Cubs fan with the enthusiasm of a kid, now trapped in a grown woman’s body. I still get excited for each opening day as if it’s Christmas morning. I’ll always treasure fond memories of two of the greatest fans in franchise history, sadly among those who won’t get to experience the thrill of the best team we’ve had in a very long time. Grandma Rose may have helped get me started on the path to Cubs fandom, but Grandpa Mush cemented a love of the game and of this team that can never be shaken. This really could be “our year,” and I hope they see every minute from the best seats in the house.

Why new Cowboy Alfred Morris makes millions, but drives a 1991 Mazda

SportsDay

...Alfred Morris, who signed a two-year $3.5 million deal, with a chance to earn up to $5.5 million, has made millions in his four previous NFL seasons.

But as of last season, he still drives a car he originally bought for $2 from his pastor.

Morris refers to his 1991 Mazda 626 Sedan, which he drove up to Washington from Florida after being drafted in the sixth round of the 2012 draft, as "The Bentley."

"I'm loyal to my car," he told Jalopnik a few years ago, explaining that he doesn't feel the need to show off his money with expensive cars and clothing. 'I didn't grow up with a lot. This helps me remember where I come from and where I'm going."

To WUSA-TV, he added, "I love my car, and that's what I'm going to drive. I'm a lot better off than I was but at the same time... I feel like it's a waste of money to go buy a new car if my car is running perfectly fine, you know? I just don't get that concept."...
                                                      ------------------- 
   "Like I said, a lot of guys still spend money on this and that; you never know when it's going to be over. I'm just doing my best to try to save as much as I can, to set myself up for life after football. You know, I don't want to be on that documentary 'Broke.' "...  READ MORE


      

Hope springs eternal at Spring Training

by Mouser The King Cat

Most of the romance is gone from pro sports. The holdout is baseball Spring Training, conducted in Florida and Arizona, 15 teams in each state. Optimism is high, because everybody’s record is 0-0. Rookies get to move up in their organization’s plans. Established veterans, long-term contracts in hand, polish parts of their game. Reporters arrive hours before each exhibition contest, eating up every tidbit.

But there are sad stories, and one of them is the Atlanta Braves, who have traded off talent for prospects, gambling they can be better in 2017 and beyond at their new stadium in Cobb County. Sample interview:

            Reporter: Could this team lose 100 games?

            Braves official: No way. We are confident that will not happen.

            Reporter: Could this team lose 95 games?

            Braves official: I’d rather not comment.

The saddest stories of all involve players at or near the end of their careers. Consider 35-year-old Nick Swisher, a first baseman/outfielder with surgically repaired knees (both, in 2014). Wearing bulky braces, he appeared in 76 games last season with Cleveland and then Atlanta, hitting .196.

Whether he sticks with the Braves or not, he’ll make $15 million. That money is guaranteed. Of course, the Braves would like to trade him and dump part of that salary, but that isn’t going to happen, so he likely will be released. If you see Nick in an exhibition game, expect swings for the fences.

“I know the situation I’m in and I’m stoked to go out and prove what I can do, because I’d love to help this team. But if I can go help somebody else, I’ll go do that, too,” he told Mark Bowman of MLB.com.

Note the optimism. Outcomes of Spring Training can vary. That’s why fans love it.

Giants/Eagles - Seven turnovers, 21 penalties in Monday Night Football stinker

Yahoo Sports

Hey, there's a penalty flag. Oh, and a turnover. And another turnover. Yep, another penalty. Hey, a fumble, cool!

If you watched the Major League Baseball playoffs on Monday night, you didn't miss much on "Monday Night Football." But know this: The New York Giants absolutely gave away a chance to take control of the NFC East, as they flailed around in a brutal 27-7 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. There were 21 penalties and seven turnovers between the teams. Blech...  

 READ MORE

Middle school QB does ninja cartwheel to avoid sack, throws touchdown bomb

This kid is going straight from middle school to the NFL, probably.

Eli Manning reportedly wants to be 'highest-paid' NFL player

Pittsburgh Pirates Turn First 4-5-4 Triple-Play In #MLB History

Yahoo Sports

4-5-4

Those weren't Saturday's winning lottery numbers, though if you're a Pittsburgh Pirates fan and you're feeling lucky, they might be good numbers to play in the future.

The numbers actually represent one of the strangest plays you'll ever see on a baseball field. During Saturday night's 7-5 victory against the St. Louis Cardinals, the Pirates turned the very first 4-5-4 triple play in MLB history.

That's second baseman to third baseman back to second baseman for those unfamiliar with baseball's scoring procedures...   READ MORE

The 2015 NFL schedule has been released

The Week One Sunday Night Game is Dez Bryant vs Odell Beckham Jr.
Other than them this game should really be a  barn burner yawner.
                                                -----------------------------------
Yahoo Sports

The Sunday night and Monday night NFL schedule is where your eyes typically start, right?

When the NFL releases the season schedule in full, as it did Tuesday night, you're naturally drawn to the night games — especially those on non-Thursdays. We expect great evening theater in our pro football.

But some of those games tend to fall flat. Some now, when the schedule is brand new, and some later, after we've found out that everyone's Super Bowl favorite is actually a crappy team. That can happen as soon as September.

But the league does its best to please its media partners — in this case, NBC for Sundays and ESPN for Mondays. (We'll discuss the Thursday schedule in a different blog entry.) Does it always work? No, which is why we feel we can point out to you where it falls flat.

Here's a look at the week-by-week prime-time games for Sunday and Monday ... and which ones you actually should watch:...   READ MORE

For fans of the Cinci Reds and lovers of literary classics we present...

Reds manager Bryan Price.
For context and a damn fine read go HERE.

"I like to talk — and I have spoken as candidly as I can with you people, if that's not good enough, I won't say a f******thing. I'll go, 'yes sir, no sir.' And I can do that. But f***, I've been as candid as I can f****** be about this team and our players, and we've got to deal with this s***, every f****** team that we f****** play has to know every f****** guy that's here and what they can and can't do? F*** me. It's a f****** disgrace. I'm f****** sick of this s***. It's f****** hard enough to f****** win here to have f****** every f****** opponent know exactly what the f*** we bring to the table every day. It's f****** horse****. I don't like it. It's what I'm saying. To make it very clear, I don't like the way that this s***'s going — at all. I don't like it. I don't think you guys need to know everything. And I certainly don't think you need to see something and tweet it out there and make it a f****** world event. How the f*** do we benefit from them knowing we don't have Devin Mesoraco? How do we benefit from that? They benefit from it. I just want to know how we benefit from these f****** people know we don't have a player here. Can you answer that? How is that good for the Reds?"