Dimmer and dumber
Now we have it folks, the growing apathy of the North American sports` fan. Where , they are more concerned about player misconduct , cheating in various sports, than they are about the fact, that young military servicemen and women , being sent off to war , are returning home psychologically damaged , and being barely given any assistance at the state or federal level (VA – Veterans` Administration) upon their return. I forgot to point out, those not traumatically damaged, do end up coming home, in body bags. Now, is that not a shame ? When situations such as that come into play , it is either through apathy on the part of the fans or the fact that they just simply do not care . Patriotism, one minute , due apathy, the next . From my own standpoint, I believe it to be a great deal of both ! If you can suggest otherwise , then please feel free to do so succinctly .
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Sideshow .
Major League Baseball(MLB) now finds itself at a crossroads for this season , as either Bud Selig now stands firm or he can choose to cave to the power of the players and their union (MLBPA) . I have never found baseball`s commissioner to be a highly intelligent individual to begin with! So any thought that he might now be on threshold of doing something simply amazing or unheard of, is simply nonsense . The fact of the matter is , Bud Selig marches to the beat of a drum that only he can hear . The fact that fans are now under the impression that he is finally getting something right. My question for them would be , point to at least three instances, where an edict by Bud Selig has actually been to the overall benefit of the game ?
The Biogenesis scandal actually broke , not because of an in-depth investigation by national daily paper , but from the sheer intense work done by a small municipal newspaper (Miami Times) based in South Florida. The fact that the national dailies and television media did not jump onto the story sooner , simply points to the fact that those particular interests are not always driven by the news itself , but simply , by profits alone . The more salacious and outrageous a story , the more likely it is, to become a part of the news` cycle and actually create the interest sought . I mean who really cares, that as many sixty-five baseball players (Bosch`s own figures) are in fact cheating, by using illicit substance to enhance their performances. Have we not heard this all before , and what was the final action taken by baseball`s hierarchy?
New York Yankees` third baseman Alex Rodriguez and his lawyers will now seek to fight and protect his already tarnished name , because the player feels that any prolonged suspension rendered by the league hierarchy will be unjust . Rodriguez maintains his innocence, in the allegations that he was supplied with illicit substances traced back to the company of Anthony Bosch , Biogenesis , which essentially has become the epicenter of the latest scandal that has now bedeviled and rocked the game of baseball .
Courtesy of USA Today
Nightengale: A-Rod’s early, ugly verdict in court of opinion
By Bob Nightengale, USA Today
CHICAGO – New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez, speaking deliberately, and even emotionally at times, Monday called the past seven months a nightmare.
Judging by the reaction of the crowd that swarmed U.S. Cellular Field to see his first game of the season, Rodriguez’s nightmare is just beginning.
SUSPENDED: A-Rod and the dirty dozen
Rodriguez was vociferously booed by the fans when merely walking to home plate in his first plate appearance, and the boos remained incessant, growing even louder when he singled, with fans screaming and taunting him. It only worsened as the game continued.
“It was a hard day today, that’s for sure, a long day,” Rodriguez said. “It’s been crazy. …It was good for me to get the first one behind me.
“For me, personally, I just want to get back to playing baseball. I just hope there’s a happy ending somewhere in there.”
Such is life now for Rodriguez after being suspended earlier Monday for 211 games and then immediately appealing the largest penalty ever levied against a player for performance-enhancing drug use.
In all there were 13 players suspended in a day of sweeping and dramatic punishment meted out by Major League Baseball, eclipsing the 1919 Chicago Black Sox scandal for throwing the World Series as the most players suspended at once for off-field activities. Teams with World Series aspirations lost players for virtually the remainder of the season, including Jhonny Peralta of the Detroit Tigers and Nelson Cruz of the Texas Rangers who agreed to 50-game bans.
Yet, Rodriguez, the biggest star, with the biggest paycheck, who plays on the biggest stage, easily dwarfed the others.
Rodriguez, defiant to the end, is the only player who appealed his suspension. The decision is not expected to be rendered by arbitrator Fredric Horowitz until at least November, players union chief Michael Weiner says.
“I’m fighting for my life,” Rodriguez said. “I have to defend myself. If I don’t defend myself no one else will.”
The images of each of the suspended players will forever be tarnished, but no one will suffer more than Rodriguez, who like Lance Armstrong, Ryan Braun and many more before him appears set to deny accusations until all avenues are exhausted.
“I know what people are going to say,” Rodriguez told USA TODAY Sports in July. “They’re going to say, ‘This is a bad guy. This is an evil guy. He’s a prima donna. Look what he’s done.’
“Sometimes, you just want to say, ‘Uncle, already.'”
The boos and taunts were vicious at times during the game, with 3,200 tickets sold Monday to voice their opinion of Rodriguez, but he refused to listen, choosing instead to hear the cheers from the visiting Yankees’ fans.
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Click on link to read in full.
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Arbitration in front of an impartial adjudicator is likely to bring about some of form of justice. Something, I believe may not be completely to everyone`s satisfaction . Rodriguez is unwilling to answer any questions concerning his possibly transgressing the league`s substance policy , as was clearly the case last night, when several questions were repeatedly posed by convened members of the press. Alex Rodriguez`s deflected responses , were , that this was not the time or place to be answering the questions concerning his use of an illicit substance . Once again , begging the question , if the player is still proclaiming his innocence , then why is he not willing to set the record straight by answering the questions posed ? Having already been caught in a lie, in his now infamous interview with former news` anchor Katie Couric on the CBS news` magazine program `Sixty Minutes`. I seriously doubt that Alex Rodriguez would once again subject himself to public ridicule by trying to plead his case by giving another bile inducing interview that simply served as to his continued dishonesty, lack of integrity , while seeking public empathy . Rodriguez says he has a great deal of respect for the game but is actions simply show that to be the complete opposite .
Personally , I believe that this Biogenesis` matter has been haphazardly handled by the league hierarchy and any belief that the US Justice Department headed by Barack Obama`s pet poodle , Eric Holder, that his agency would also being going after these players , having broken the law , now seems to be completely out of the question. Very much in the similar vein that Obama , himself , had promised that the agency would be going after many of the individuals who acted gregariously within the financial sector that caused an almost cataclysmic catastrophe within the financial sector , specifically the mortgage industry. To date, not one senior executive within that sector has been arraigned, indicted, or prosecuted on any major felony charge, coming out an investigation jointly by the Justice Department and FBI . In addition, here again , I do not expect the Justice Department to follow suit in going after an MLB player. Incompetency within Major League Baseball seems to be no different that we have now become accustomed to seeing within the Federal Government and most certainly by various agencies within the current administration of this sitting US President .
Rodriguez and his attorneys will seek place the emphasis on baseball going outside its parameters , while also seeking to state that they are not acting in accordance with the current collective bargaining agreement reached between the union (MLBPA) and MLB. A weak premise I believe , but certainly if used to their advantage, it could very well make Bud Selig and the hierarchy , come off looking like a bunch of buffoons . I certainly do believe that Alex Rodriguez would have been willing to accept a suspension similar in length to the one that sent Ryan Braun away for sixty-five games . Yet , herein lies the caveat and premise behind the league`s wish . They (MLB) failed to act back in 2010 , when the player first admitted his use of a banned substance . Furthermore, less than six months after his well-publicized admission, Alex Rodriguez`s name would then again be associated with steroids and the now jailed Orlando medical professional, Dr Anthony Galea . At that time, Rodriguez along with Tiger Woods and several other athletes, prominent within the NFL , NBA and baseball were mentioned in documents , in the possession of the US Justice Department, as having been treated by the aforementioned doctor . Woods willingly cooperated with law enforcement at the time , answering their questions without any fear of prosecution .
For Rodriguez , his stance remained that his name and association with Galea , was strictly professional and was nothing more than as a patient of the doctor. I rather at this juncture believe pigs are able to fly and that Paris Hilton does indeed have the intelligence to become a member of MENSA , than having to believe anything uttered out of the mouth of Alex Rodriguez, as it relates to his career and now dubious achievements !
Baseball`s season has been devalued any belief that the actions now being taken, will now bring back some sense of normalcy to the game , has to be viewed as being completely asinine.
On the field of play the New York Yankees have been woefully inept for much of the season . Injuries may well have played a part , but no more so than for other teams around the league . In the case of the Yankees however , their fans as always, believe that the team should be given pass , because of who they are and the very fact that as usual , the use of their vast resources , means that they are always in contention . Alex Rodriguez may well be back and now playing in the Minors , but if Alfonso Soriano can find a way to at least be productive . I certainly do believe that Joe Girardi at the insistence of GM Brian Cashman will have the team`s highest paid player remained benched, quite possibly for rest of the Yankees` regular season schedule . The testy relationship between the front office executive and the All Star player has been nowhere near as cordial as one believe Alex Rodriguez is trying to suggest . Yet , were it not for the stupidity shown by Cashman and the Steinbrenner family . At the insistence of Lonn A Trost , Chief Legal Counsel to the Yankees` franchise . This matter concerning Alex Rodriguez`s career with this ball-club could have been resolved long ago . When it first came to light of the player`s association with Biogenesis , Trost stated, that the organization, had it seen it to do so , they were in a position to void Rodriguez`s contract . The opposing view was taken by Brian Cashman and senior managing partner Hal Steinbrenner , with the player remaining a part of the playing staff , for now .
Having the best record in baseball does not necessarily mean that you are indeed the best team in the game . Alas , there are those who would suggest , because the Pittsburgh Pirates do appear to have that honor . Then they are to be lauded for that very fact and their play during that period and the resilience shown. Granted , the team has been fairly consistent for much of the season , seated atop or near the top of the NL Central , while facing a stiff challenge from the St Louis Cardinals . Yet to my mind, as of late , the best team has to be the Atlanta Braves , Boston Red Sox , closely followed by the always surprising Tampa Bay Rays .
The Pirates for their part will be looking to keep that momentum going and they are scheduled to face the Miami Marlins at PNC Park , in Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania , on Tuesday afternoon . A beleaguered Marlins` team that simply has nothing left to play for , but their pride and self-respect .
Atlanta as of late , has been on an extremely hot streak , having won their last ten consecutive games , the hottest current streak in either the AL or NL . The team`s play has been proven to be good enough to open up a 12 1/2 game lead in the NL East , the largest such divisional lead in the Majors at present . One can place that on being, the division has been extremely weak and the very fact that neither , the Philadelphia Phillies or Washington Nationals have really sought to challenge the Atlanta Braves over the course of this season .
The Braves will be the guests of the Washington Nationals at Nationals Ballpark , in Washington , DC, on Monday afternoon . On the mound for Braves will be Mike Minor against the Nationals` ace Stephen Strasburg . This pitching match-up should prove to be one of the better games on the day`s schedule , between two of the National League`s best young pitchers .
I do not believe we will be able to see a concerted and sustainable effort from Clint Hurdle`s Pirates over the remainder of the season . If history tells us anything about this ball-club over the past decade and a half , it is that they easily disappoint , having always teased their fans into believing that they are able to make a concerted effort to make the post-season . Something that has not been achieved by the Pittsburgh Pirates in almost two decades and counting. Should the Pirates make it to their first post-season berth since 1992, it would eradicate one of the longest such streaks in baseball . Certainly, a wish that all of the ball-club`s fans would no doubt like to see come to fruition. The onus will now be placed squarely on the shoulders of Andrew McCutchen , Pedro Alvarez, Gerritt Cole , Russell Martin , Starling Marte , Francisco Liriano and Jason Grilli to pull this team through.
There is little to choose between the three worst teams in baseball, other than to say ` better luck next year ` . The Houston Astros (36-74) , Chicago White Sox (40-69) and the Miami Marlins (43-67) a , were all teams playing at a substandard level , which is clearly reflected in their records as of the 5th of August . For team owners , Jerry Reinsdorf , Jeffrey Loria and Jim Crane , this now becomes a matter of making decisions that could sweeping changes amongst team personnel and the managerial staffs , should tings now remain as they are at season`s end. For Bo Porter, Robin Ventura and Mike Redmond , this might a season that all three managers would simply rather forget . All three owners are self-made millionaires, each wealthy in their own right . Yet, along the way, they have made some major mistakes. I believe the biggest mistake of all , was actually made by Crane , himself, in bowing to the wishes of Bud Selig, by agreeing to change divisions for the Houston Astros ,
In moving from the NL Central to the AL West , simply placed the franchise a in far worst position than I believed anyone within the organization could have envisioned . However , the deal brokered by Selig in allowing Crane to purchase the franchise at a whopping $775 million price tag , when the league hierarchy , then added in a further $165 million to the franchise , to cover the cost of the relocation and to aid the ball-club for the next four years. These are the sort of deals that simply shows how out of touch with reality the game just happens to be , as it relates to its own financial prosperity . Frugality within some circles of the game, still remains taboo , while for some teams , the mere chance of being a recipient of almost $200 million would be like a gift from the Gods . Not that the luxury tax recipients do not see their good tidings as such, because without it, at least fifty percent of the teams would face a harsh and stark financial reality . The big market teams continue to prosper from a financial standpoint , while their much smaller counterparts are left to almost fight amongst themselves for the scraps left at the table .
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Picture gallery .
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Picture and sideshow gallery details below .
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(1) An inured US soldier is given medical assistance by emergency personnel after an IED explodes causing the combatant to lose his lower leg . Hundreds of US military personnel have lost limbs or have been paralyzed or lost their lives to these improvised explosive devices during the length of both wars in Afghanistan and Iraq . Survivors having returned are usually treated at US governmental facilities , but far too often they become forgotten and tend to slip through the cracks of what has now , become an all too archaic and bureaucratic system > known > as the Veterans Administration (VA) . Yet that is in spite of a multi-billion dollar budget and what now appears to be an incompetent and uncaring governmental agency. Unfortunately , legislators within Congress far too often only pay these men and women lip service during an election cycle . AP/REUTERS/ Christian Patterson …
(2)
Corpsman carry a wounded Marine to a Chinook 46, April 7, 2004, as the number of U.S. Marines killed in a five-hour house firefight in Ramadi on Tuesday . Such conflicts between coalition forces and the enemy does bring a a high toll on both sides of a battle and during war . David Swanson/Philadelphia Inquirer/MCT
(3) New York Yankees’ Alex Rodriguez, right, talks during a news conference before the Yankees play the Chicago White Sox in a baseball game at US Cellular Field in Chicago on Monday, Aug. 5, 2013. Rodriguez was suspended through 2014 and All-Stars Nelson Cruz , Jhonny Peralta and Everth Cabrera were banned 50 games apiece Monday when Major League Baseball disciplined 13 players in a drug case, the most sweeping punishment since the Black Sox scandal nearly a century ago. AP Photo/Charles Cherney …
(4) New York Yankees’ Alex Rodriguez gets a hit in his first at bat against the Chicago White Sox in the first inning in a baseball game at US Cellular Field in Chicago on Monday, Aug., 5, 2013. AP Photo/Charles Cherney …
(5) New York Yankees’ Alex Rodriguez, bottom center, signs autographs at U.S. Cellular Field before a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox, Monday, Aug. 5, 2013, in Chicago. Rodriguez was suspended through 2014 and All-Stars Nelson Cruz, Jhonny Peralta and Everth Cabrera were banned 50 games apiece Monday when Major League Baseball disciplined 13 players in a drug case, the most sweeping punishment since the Black Sox scandal nearly a century ago. AP Photo/Paul Beaty …
(6) From left to right are New Yankees’ team President Randy Levine , GM Brian Cashman , team manager Joe Girardi and Chief Legal Counsel Lonn A Trost. The four were gathered at the team’s stadium after the formal signing of reliever Rafael Soriano . Trost earlier in the season advised his fellow executives that the ball-club would be within their right to rescind the contract of Alex Rodriguez . However, Brian Cashman in conjunction with Hank and Hal Steinbrenner took an opposing view , with the player being retained by the franchise . AP Photo / Mike Gardner …
(7) Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher A.J. Burnett (34) waves to fans after getting a 5-1 complete game win over the Colorado Rockies in a baseball game in Pittsburgh Sunday, Aug. 4, 2013. AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar …
(8) Atlanta Braves’ Justin Upton (8) rounds the bases for a solo home run as Washington Nationals relief pitcher Tyler Clippard, second from right, walks around the mound during the eighth inning of a baseball game at Nationals Park, Monday, Aug. 5, 2013, in Washington. The Braves won 3-2. AP Photo/Alex Brandon …
(9) Houston Astros` owner Jim Crane , left is seen here with the team`s general manager Jeff Luhnow . The Astros are on pace to finish with the worst record in baseball for the second consecutive season , but could avoid that fate if they are able to surpass both the Chicago White and Miami Marlins . Getty Images North America / Johnathan Prescott …
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tophatal …..
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MLB probable starting pitchers
MLB results 4th August , 2013
MLB standings 5th August 2013 and wild-card standings
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MLB history : This month in MLB history
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Tophatal's Blog 
Thankfully , last night , the Yankees and their fans did not have much to rejoice about as the White Sox handed the team one of their worst defeats of the season in an 8-1 loss at US Cellular Field in Chicago , Illinois .
As for Alex Rodriguez , does that clown really believe that anyone is now likely to believe him after last night’s pre and post-game charade ? He must really believe that the fans are that gullible to think , that he has not resorted to ways of old .
The Yankees to my mind are equally to blame in trusting a player whose honesty and credibility was always suspect to begin with . Yet somehow they (organization) bought in the player’s bull#hit and now are fighting fend off further ridicule . Both are actually deserving of each other . Hank and Hal Steinbrenner are too damn stupid for their own good .
Had George Steinbrenner been alive today , there is no way in hell that Alex Rodriguez would still remain a player within that organization .
The Braves have been playing some great baseball but at the moment . Yet , most are looking elsewhere when describing the best team in baseball . I wonder why that is ?
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Wendy Fiore maximizes her assets far better than any team in baseball .
tophatal ………..
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A-Rod is pulling Bill Clinton Hey man I’m the victim here blame it on the Yankees and Bud Selig- Jeaze A-rod forgot the race cards. This is pure stupidity. A-Rod didn’t say he didn’t do it. He did.
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bobby gee
If A Rod were to write book , it would be similar vein to O J`s self title ode `If I Did It `? .
Rodriguez from 2001 onwards this player simply cheated the game and the fans .
Now the Yankees` third baseman believes he can simply squirm his way out of another condescending lie . The New York Yankees are just as much at fault in this whole mess, as are Major League Baseball , the MLBPA (Players` Union) and the owners themselves, who have gained financially from the biggest fraud ever perpetrated on the American sporting public .
tophatal …….
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this why MLB is a joke and a mess
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For the two decades that Bud Selig has held office , the game has simply gone backwards, as he and the team owners have simply let things go unchallenged as it relates to cheating , Now he is looking to close to the door to the stables after all of the horses have bolted . Too little and way too late , in terms of is actions . Anyone who cannot see that now , must be a complete @ss !
tophatal …………
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this is typical of statists and morons
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bobby gee
We will now maintain a brief moment of silence as Bud Selig wipes his ass and then makes another announcement concerning the game of baseball . Here it comes …….` we will now add another two teams from each league to the postseason format and strengthen our drug testing protocols by testing for antidepressants and cough mixture medication ` . LOL,LOL,LOL !!!
tophatal …………
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Some people in this country think memorial day is a holiday for cookouts, and don’t truly understand the meaning behind it. Priorities are ass-backwards in the country. The sports world is no different. I am disgusted by those who don’t care if athletes use PED’s or not, and only care that they are entertained.
This is why A-Rod can make a mockery of this situation. Because at the end of the day, most fans would rather worship the guy and get his autograph than tell him what they really think of him.
And it seems major college sports are headed towards players being paid, and the de-emphasis of education continues, as sports money takes a priority over academics. Every day we lose another small piece of our souls, and as time marches forward we move farther away from ever getting it back.
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Maurice
What have you got against cookouts ? I`m thinking of inviting Paula Deen to cater my next event ! LOL,LOL
`There are so many starving children in the world and I now think it`s time for me to adopt one of them dark skinned ones from Africa , just like Angelina Jolie , Madonna and Sandra Bullock . Besides , I can feed `em some of my home-style Southern hospitality cuisine ` ! Paula Deen
tophatal …………..
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I have nothing against cookouts. I love some barbecue just like the next person, but at least know what holiday it is you’re celebrating. LOL
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Cookouts are great , but you`re right, when they are not overly concerned with the holiday being celebrated , it does become somewhat disrespectful .
tophatal ………..
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Collegiate athletics is a massive fraud overseen by a corrupt organization represented by the NCAA , major conferences and the powerhouse schools within football and basketball .
The litigation now taking place at the federal level that involves at least 200 current and former collegiate athletes should tell you all you need to know as to what is absolutely wrong with the system . It has been ongoing now for almost five years and counting .
Courtesy of USA Today
Everything about this case concerns the NCAA seeking to protect itself and not much else beyond that.
tophatal ……
tophatal …….
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People don’t want to hear it, but major changes need to occur if those players win. And I don’t mean paying college players. You can’t pay players and offer them scholarships at the same time. There’s something absolutely wrong about that. The NFL needs to stop colluding with the NCAA, and take some of those billions they earn each year and create a minor league. The colleges can’t do it anymore. The fact that the NFL doesn’t have a minor league is part of the reason so much corruption exists in college football. It’s time we came full circle on this issue.
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Maurice
Do you know what the biggest joke in this whole diabolical scheme just happens to be ? It is the fans of the sports in question, because they choose not to understand the parameters that the NCAA , NFL , NBA , MLB , MLS and NHL now operate under and are allowed to do so under the auspices of the House Gov`t & Oversight Committee and the Senate Commerce Committee .
I for one , do not believe the fans much less the nation`s populace enlarge are actually intelligent to even comprehend the parameters under which even the federal government operates under and that of the sports` bodies concerned ! .
Each of the five sports` bodies mentioned in some part, lobbied for their specific entitlements as it relates to their antitrust trust and tax-exempt status . The only individuals paying taxes , are the professional sports` franchises and the employees of the aforementioned organizations . Those five bodies are set up as not-for-profit concerns . One of the reasons why Bud Selig ($25 million annual salary) , Roger Goodell ($12-15 million not incl bonuses) , David Stern ($20 million) and Gary Bettman ( $7 million) can pull down those inflated salaries . Yet these anal retentive fans, overlook those issues and talk about changes that they want to see within the sport themselves in terms of their competitiveness and in some cases economic imbalances .
The first place to start , would be to change the status under which the NCAA , NBA , NHL , MLB and NBA operate under from a business standpoint , with much stricter oversight from from the IRS and US Treasury Department . Change those parameters, and you have a clear line of demarcation and even less corruption by those bodies as well as by the colleges , and professional sports` franchises . No one wants to be audited by the IRS , be they a big or small business concern , much less a private citizen .
And ask yourself this , would Stern , Bettman , Goodell and Selig rule their concerns the way that they currently do , were they to know that a moment`s notice under the threat of the federal government or a state concern , they could be audited , if there was a belief they are conducting their business concerns under or with a great deal of corruption ?
The NCAA continues to boast about graduation rate levels amongst their body of student athletes , which to my mind , I do believe those figures are inflated to impress ! The men`s NCAA Basketball Tournament in 2011 and 2012 would not have met the criteria set by Education Secretary Arne Duncan ( Harvard grad , classmate of Barack Obama and point guard on Harvard`s basketball team) and for which he called for the participants to have a graduation rate level of not less than 65% . If that had been the case, each of the tournaments in question , would have less than 25 teams competing instead of te customary sixty-four plus one .
Can you imagine if Arne Duncan also made that request with regard to the participants for the BCS national championship game as well as for all non BCS Bowl games ? As the nation`s Education Secretary , he would be ridiculed by the press and fans alike , as well as by the commissioners of the major conferences , athletics directors and universities presidents within college football.
tophatal ……………
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Tough decisions need to be made. But stopping the world from turning might be easier than getting people who’s pockets are being lined from the current state of American sports to do what’s right in terms of making changes politically and morally.
I’m all for making changes especially as it relates to college sports. It’s a mockery. Some of these athletes playing football and basketball are having their class work done by tutors or someone else, and the schools look the other way for the sake of the team. It’s out of control and this type of corruption needs to come to an end.
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Maurice
I`m all for positive changes being made but it is easier said than done in today`s climate where money simply drives every aspect of collegiate and professional sports .
At the collegiate level , it is very corrupt and the NCAA can no longer be trusted to carry out its own business legitimately, especially in light of the allegations that came into being concerning the Infractions Committee`s investigation of the Miami Hurricanes program after the Nevin Shapiro scandal . Falsification of records after investigators misplaced documents concerning their investigation . Yet, NCAA President Mark Emmert , still feels that they (Infractions Committee) can carry on the investigation without any undue attention being brought with regard to their evidence gathering . It is that sort of incompetency that is now rampant at all levels of collegiate sports not only with the complete lack of oversight, but also amongst the colleges , administrators , coaches , universities and college president themselves .
We have witnessed this season the stupidity shown by baseball (MLB) concerning the Biogensis scandal and Bud Selig`s handling of the matter . Now you have Alex Rodriguez straining the credibility of the game, by trying to suggest tat he is innocent , but also that the league hierarchy is going beyond its parameters by seeking to punish him with impunity and the very fact that allegedly he is only a first time offender . Rodriguez`s name has now cropped now more times than any other players` concerning the misuse of steroids and PED`s with three separate and well-documented incidents in the past five seasons . That is no coincidence at all and anyone who thinks otherwise is a complete ass !
The New York Yankees and the indifference shown by the ball-club on the issue is emblematic and systematic as to what is completely wrong with the game of baseball and how all of the teams have dealt with the matter rather indifferently and idiotically , all under the lack of leadership sown by a weak-kneed Bud Selig .
The NFL remains as popular as ever , but now , in the aftermath of the Aaron Hernandez murder charge , the league really has to take a look at itself from just about every angle and the owners also bear a great deal of responsibility in not coming down hard on the players . Furthermore, it is time that the union and its executive committee step up to the plate , rather than continually remaining silent .
The NBA may well be basking in the limelight after another successful season , but it also has some major problems that its own hierarchy chooses not to address head on, for the moment . David Stern knows what they are , and I believe it his intent to force te and of the union one more time, as he looks to weaken them .
tophatal ………..
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Unfortunately in Picture #2 is an example of how different types of people on the same side bond.
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Ronbets
Pictures as seen in number`s one and two , do bring home the real horrors and the casualties of war and furthermore emphasizes the cost of a life taken on the field of battle . Something , that I do not believe a politician truly understands or appreciates in spite of their gun-ho mentality .
tophatal ………….
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Maurice
The public at large much like the politicians are so full of themselves when it comes unbound patriotism . Yet , when push comes to shove, what the hell have they actually done to make the lives of these men and women better, other than to raise a flag in their honor ?
Alex Rodriguez will remain a lying , condescending , amoral , narcissistic son-of-a bitch , who has no respect for the game or for those, whom he states , he wants them to view him as a role model .
If immature idiots such as Johnny Manziel continue to become the poster child for what is wrong in collegiate athletics . Then so be it ! Who needs a dumb ass like that to begin with ? I certainly do not !
tophatal ……….
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Tophat, since the theme here is dimmer and dumber let’s visit Johnny Manziel.
I think they had it right way back when freshmen hoop players weren’t allowed allowed on the varsity. Due to monetary problems they became eligible and the frosh team was eliminated. I think frosh should be ineligible for the Heismann. Many need to grow up mentally ……….forget about the physical attributes.
The Manziel family? A little strange. When asked about his BR dad replied, “I don’t have Garth Brooks money.” According to an NBC sports radio source, mom and dad wanted their personalized license plates “JFF”. You figure it out.
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Ronbets
If Johnny Manziel were a light bulb , I doubt that he would be brighter than 40 watts ! In terms of his IQ , it might be on par with Paris Hilton`s . Manziel`s actions could now cast a giant shadow over the entire Aggies athletics program for all of the wrong reasons . In doing so , it will also likely lower his stock amongst NFL general managers and head coaches . Clearly , this kid is not that damn bright to begin with .
`Who are you again ? You also have two sons , that have won a combined three Superbowls between them ? Me , I`m Johnny Football and the ladies love my tight spiral `. , Manziel and Archie Manning
Can you imagine Paris Hilton and Manziel in the same room holding an intelligent conversation ? Now that is an image that could very well prove to be extremely funny .
Hilton simply looking challenge the misinterpretations about her .
Garth Brooks has money (est. wealth $450 million) , talent , and he gets to `bang` Trisha Yearwood . Other than a Heisman , what has Johnny Manziel got ?
tophatal …………
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Ronbets
The Manziel family ? Are they anything like the Newton`s (Cam and his pastor dad) or the Bush`s , as in Reggie Bush and his family ?
The Manziel family
Please don`t tell me the Manziel family want to be like George and Weezie Jefferson u> and move on up to that deluxe apartment in the sky ? LOL,LOL,LOL !!!
Ah , the lovable Jefferson`s .
tophatal …………..
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It’s not all freshmen, it’s this particular freshman who is the problem. There have been others who I think could have handled it, like Herschel Walker, who should have won the Heisman as a freshman. And Herschel was a true freshman, Manziel was a redshirt freshman, so technically he was really a sophomore.
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Maurice
It may not be all freshmen , but Manziel is now making it bad for all , especially if they follow in a similar vain . As I said earlier , how much of an @ss must he be, not to realize he was violating NCAA rules ? Obviously Johnny Manziel knew exactly what he was doing and will more likely than not seek to apportion blame elsewhere .
Don`t place Hershel Walker in the same breath or plateau as Manziel , merely because they are freshmen , because Walker is far more intelligent and a better athlete the Aggies` quarterback can or could ever claim to be .
Jenna Jameson
Johnny Manziel`s stock as a potential first draft pick is falling faster than the draws of a female porn star getting ready to do a group sex scene .
tophatal ………………
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I mentioned Herschel Walker because he was a freshman who could have handled winning the Heisman as opposed to Manziel. And Herschel was a “true” freshmen, not a redshirt like Manziel was.
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Maurice
Labels again , freshmen , red-shirt freshmen . Only here in America can you guys place labels on just about every damn thing , merely to make something look appropriate. LOL,LOL,LOL !!!
The year Walker finished third behind George Rogers and Hugh Green . Onne could suggest that he was the best player in the es nation , but during that season , the award was simply given not necessarily on merit , because of Rogers` body of work over his college career .
tophatal ………
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I make the differential between freshmen because a redshirt freshmen is really as sophomore, so he’s already been a college student on campus for over a year as opposed a true freshmen who’s only been there a few months. 18 year old players can mature a lot physically and mentally over the course of a year. SO the difference between a true freshman and a redshirt freshman can be profound.
So when people mention that Manziel was just a freshman, it’s not exactly true. But I get the point your making. And what happened to those running backs Like Rogers and Walker? That 6’2, 230 pound bruiser, who was big, strong, and fast. They don’t make running backs like that anymore, or maybe they just automatically turn them into linebackers nowadays.
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Maurice
Eighteen year-old females co-eds mature a lot faster than an eighteen year-old college guy (male student athlete) , who the vast majority of the time will be thinking with the head that is a part of his lower extremities . By the way what is Johnny Manziel majoring in, at Texas A &M ? Dick-ology ?
Manziel , is definitely going about it the right way , by proving what a dick he really is .
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Maurice
Those days I believe are long gone, when it comes to running backs . They are now either built like Adrian Peterson , Stephen Jackson or someone like Doug Martin .
Tomorrow night`s game between the Buccaneers and Baltimore Ravens will be blacked out in the local area television market because the Tampa Bay Buccaneers cannot meet the criteria needed to adhere to the NFL rules in question for the local televising of games .
What else do we need to know when it comes to the support of this NFL franchise within this market ? One of the worst attendances in the league and in terms of support overall . Damn it !
The Bucs have not sold out a regular season home game in almost three years .
Tampa Bay Buccaneers` news
tophatal ………………
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bobby gee
A Rod might to prove to be just as big an ass , as Bill Clinton , in terms of their lack of honesty . I am not too sure if one or two more comparisons can`t be made with regard to their sexual voracity , as both liked to dip their ink pens into a number of female quills and other places I suspect .
🙂
—-
tophatal ……………
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We have fans now proclaiming that this stance by baseball was needed , yet when tis all first came to light in terms of the Miami Times` article on Biogenesis . The league waited to act , waiting on a bumbling governmental agency to pull its fingers out of its @ss to do something . Furthermore, Selig`s evidence gathering is somewhat dubious , as much of the information in the league`s possession, came by way of having to pay Biogenesis in order to get additional evidence to present its case . They have obviously learned nothing from the embarrassment caused by the first go around with Ryan Braun .
If on appeal or in arbitration Alex Rodriguez obtains a favorable verdict , this could cause a great deal of blow-back against Bud Selig in more ways than one .
The face of an amoral narcissist or someone we should empathize with ?
A two-hundred and fourteen game suspension is to my mind , long overdue, as Rodriguez`s admission of guilt in March of 2010 was not sincere or a real act of contrition. He simply perpetrated lie after lie and just about anyone with half a damn brain fell for his bulls#it .
Bud Selig even wit tis action, still comes across as being weak and remains in a position of weakness . As for the general managers and team owners within baseball , they are a bunch of conceited and conniving bastards . They scurrilously turned and looked the other way , profited from ill-gotten gains and dumb @ss idiots now want to make a whole melee` as to what is now being done , In reality , it is too little , all too late ,as the horse and cart have already ran downhill and essentially casting off its load .
Baseball will never recover from this particular scar and the upcoming World Series , will in essence, be a complete damn sham . An asterisk should be placed by the name of the team denoted as World Series` champions for this season .
Finally , it is my belief that Alex Rodriguez`s marks from 2001-2013 should actually be stricken from the record books , if it is the league hierarchy`s intent to drive home a point to the cheaters and not on appearance remain weak , Because if left to the likes of an @ssole like Skip Bayless , it will take revisionists and idiots such as he , to carry on with this crap as to what a player like Alex Rodriguez meant to the o game .
Rodriguez has simply been a blight to the game of baseball in spite of his alleged prowess and early achievements in the Minors and allegedly pre . 2001 .
tophatal ……………
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It’s a shame that we don’t celebrate our true heroes as much as the overpaid, spoiled jerks who play kid’s games for millions of dollars.
I believe the National League Pennant is the Brave’s for the taking. They have the most complete team in the senior circuit.
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aero
Sports` fan do celebrate their heroes . The stereotypical louts and thugs that the press also tend to heap praise upon , and we then feed into the garbage .
I mean , when Alex Rodriguez was on his recent rehab assignment in Tampa , over 6500 kids and parents came out to seek the player`s autograph. That should tell you all you need to know concerning the principles being taught to those particular kids , don`t you think ? Personally , I believe the country has gone to hell and we have completely lost our way ! There is no distinct leadership being provided by the political leaders . Educators are at a loss , as to how to invigorate and enrich the lives of their students , because of a real lack of resources and the very fact that administrators within the schools and the state education system are simply are too damn naive and uncaring .
A Rod has now become the poster child for absolutely everything that is wrong with the game of baseball . The very moment he signed that first multi-year $250 million contract with the Texas Rangers . One simply knew that from thereon-in his career was about to go downhill. As a player he has always been vain , conceited and not a particularly good teammate .
Upon having signed that deal , he commented that he deserved the money he was getting . Not his wish to bring the Rangers` organization success , but the fact that he deserved the money ?
That son-of-a-bi#ch (A Rod) and his agent Scott Boras are complete scum-sucking succubus’s and parasites .
tophatal ………….
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Baseball is a great game, but MLB is a terrible league. The player’s union has too much power, and the owners have no clue as to how to make the sport better. It’s a catch-22.
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Maurice
At what point in its history do you truly believe that baseball was truly a great game ? Was it pre integration or after the introduction of Jackie Robinson as baseball`s first player of color , when he was being subjected to a torrent of racial abuse as a member of the Brooklyn Dodgers and initially by many of his own teammates ? Oh , those must have been some really happy times for the player don`t you think ?
Perhaps, we can also point to the night that Hank Aaron broke the all-time home run record ? I mean that night , apart from being famous, was also infamous , because Aaron was also the subject of a torrent of racial abuse by Caucasians , because he broke the record of Babe Ruth , who himself, was known to be an avowed racial bigot . Ah well , as the saying goes …… `if you can`t beat them then why not join them ` . And that was exactly was what was on display around the country . Albeit , there were fans who took the opposite view .
The early and late nineties , until now , has given us the era of steroids. Players who were not willing participants , stood idly by , and said nothing , because they also were able to profit from the era . So make no bones about it , there has been absolutely noting wonderful or actually emphatically special or brilliant about this game at all , during its existence .
During Selig`s reign we have seen the utter incompetency of the hierarchy and the contempt and greed of the team owners . So I ask you , to point to an instance were the game was said to be special ?
tophatal ………….
tophatal …………
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aero
The fact that the Braves seem to be running away with the division (NL East) for the moment is great , but I am hoping that Fredi Gonzalez and his players do not become complacent , and then fall apart at the end of the season . There have been some solid contributions all round . Yet, I would like to have seen far more from B J Upton than at present . Injuries being what they are , some of this has simply come to what I believe has been his inconsistency ! Out of this possibly , I would to see Fredi Gonzalez end up being named NL Manager of the Year , should the ball-cub win the NL East .
tophatal ……….
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Manziel`s stock as a potential number one daft pick is falling faster than porn star Bree Olsen`s draws during foreplay for a sex scene in a porn movie. How dumb is this kid to begin with ? And it simply now adds to the fact that winning a Heisman in recent years , is not all , it is cracked to be .
I`d tap that @ss ! Bree Olson
tophatal ……………..
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So LeBron reported for jury duty? How awesome would it be if he sat on trial for the A-Rod appeal?
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Chris
Unfortunately , that won`t be the case as Rodriguez`s hearing will be empaneled in front of a lone arbitrator , Keith Horowitz whose decision will be binding and final . It has to be a worry for Bud Selig in light of the Ryan Braun fiasco and what went down . If Alex Rodriguez`s legal team are able to in any way challenge the veracity of the league`s case , in terms of how they went about obtaining their evidence , then it will not bode well for baseball at all .
What I find truly repulsive about this all , is the very fact that Rodriguez will now be allowed to play right through until the end of the regular season and possibly into the post-season should the Yankees make if that far ! This is simply idiotic to think the league could not have arranged for a much more expeditious appeal . Once again , proving why the game of baseball cannot be taken seriously or at face value . Rodriguez`s hearing is not likely to take place before October based on various news` sources .
tophatal ……….
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Chris
Personally , I wished A Rod`s case were a criminal case, amounting to a trial ! Then we would see if he would be prepared to take te stand in is own defense . A tribunal with an arbitrator simply hears a case based on the evidence presented to him by the parties in question . In a case such as this, most of the witnesses tend to be experts in differing fields . Rodriguez will simply leave it to his attorneys to represent him in this situation and that will be it .
tophatal …….
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