Man-Ram

Amazing! Manny Ramirez had a sudden knee issue immediately after contract saber rattling in the fish wrap between he and Red Sox owner John Henry. What? Magi-tragically the next week Manny announces his knee has been bothering him for about a week and he is unsure if he will be ready for the Yankees series this weekend.

He missed Friday night's game, a 1-0 Yankees win.

NBA free agent bolts for Greece

Atlanta Hawks restricted free agent Josh Childress bolted for Greece this week.

It's the global economy, stupid. No seriously, the appreciation of the Euro has mattered. Of course, had Childress been an unrestricted free agent so that any NBA team would have been able to bid on him and this might not have happened. But when his team, the Atlanta Hawks took his restricted free agency lightly, Childress and agent examined their options and headed for Olympiacos Piraeus.

The Clarion doesn't think quite as highly of him as ESPN's John Hollinger who said, "...it deprives the Hawks of one of the best sixth men in the game, a guy who could make a huge impact without needing any plays run for him because of his ability to attack the glass, score in transition and play off the ball."

However, we do believe that this may be part of the beginning of a fascinating trend as athletes leave the United States to pursue their careers elsewhere for better money. For so long America has experienced the opposite, but it might appear things are beginning to change?

Baseball a few thoughts

The Clarion would like to offer a few thoughts, notes and observations heading into the second half of the baseball season.

How's about this for an oddity? The three leading hit getters in the National League are all shortstops. It is reminiscent of the transcendent age of A.L. shortstops a decade ago, when it looked like Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, and Nomar Garciparra were all Hall of Fame shortstops. Jose Reyes of the Mets and Hanley Ramirez of the Marlins are the obvious ones, and two guys who are off to great starts in their careers. The third N.L. shortstop, who is actually leading the league in hits, is much tougher to identify. It is not the Phillies MVP shortstop, Jimmy Rollins. Instead, it is the Washington Nationals shortstop, a thirty year old who has only hit .300 once before, who this season is pounding out hits, Cristian Guzman.

Switching to pitching from hitting, the Twins, as well as they are playing and pitching, have more pitching coming in the form of Francisco Liriano who is 7-0 with a 2.73 ERA. Liriano was a dominator, he went 12-3 with a 2.16 ERA in his rookie year for the Twins before he hurt his elbow and had to have Tommy John surgery. He missed all of last season, but looks ready to come back strong. Sadly for Twins fans the franchise is attempting screw Liriano financially. In the process, they are screwing their fans and the players, all to save a few bucks.

Here is the story, the Twins are trying to hold down Liriano's service time. Service time dictates when a player is eligible for salary arbitration and usually a significant pay raise. Liriano has two years and 45 days Major League service time, and players are eligible for arbitration after three years of service time. The Twins are keeping Liriano in the minors as long as possible to avoid paying him more next year. However, if they embitter Liriano badly enough, it will hurt them worse and their fans the most, especially if they fall just short of the playoffs this year. The Tampa Bay Rays, who despite their delightful Cinderella start should be contracted, played this same game at the beginning of the season with star third baseman, Evan Longoria and won when they signed him to a nine year under market value deal.

One final note, the definitely different Manny Ramirez, decided to tweak Red Sox management over the All-Star break. The Red Sox management, for a change, fired right back. At issue is Manny's concern about whether the club will pick up its $20 million contract extension option on Ramirez next season. In a year where the Red Sox are the favorite to win at least the American League again, could Manny's selfish attitude spoil the vibe and the season? Yankee fans can only hope.

The British Open

You've probably thought a Tiger-less British Open is going to be boring. Not.

Jim Furyk has already fired off the golfing quip of the season reviewing the setting, "I'd probably have to say that the tea is highly overrated and the beer is highly underrated."

There's a guy who has it figured out. He could be in contention come Sunday.

The Clarion's suggestion, put some money on your favorite, Tiger's not playing, it is wide open, and nothing sharpens the interest like a little action.

The odds makers put Furyk at 4 to 1, tied for the 6th choice with Adam Scott. The top five in the eyes of the bookies: Sergio Garcia is the favorite, followed by Ernie Els, Lee Westwood, Phil Mickelson and Padraig Harrington.

A few long shots to consider, Rocco Mediate at 150 to 1. Paul Lawrie at 175 to 1. And how 'bout putting a couple of quid on John Daly at 200 to 1.

See the full board here.

"Papelbon wants to close"

And with those words one of our local Durham readers and future correspondents cut right to the chase.

"Did you hear Papelbon wants to close," he said. He was coming through the LG loud and clear.

"Yeah, so?" It took a second for the rosy glow of dawn to rise over the Clarion's desk.

He was right. If the Boston Red Sox ace closer, Jonathan Papelbon wanted to be the closer for tonight's All-Star Game in Yankee Stadium, why shouldn't he be? And therein lies the crux of the problem with tonight's Major League baseball All-Star game. A problem started by the used car salesman commissioner, when he let the 2002 All-Star game end in a tie.

Tonight's All-Star Game won't end in a tie. Instead it will decide which league will have home field advantage in the World Series in the Fall, baseball's championship. Home field is significant. Why shouldn't Papelbon and his manager, Terry Francona, of the defending champion Boston Red Sox want their guy to pitch the most important innings in a game that decides home field advantage for the championship round?

The All-Star Game is supposed to be, and always was supposed to be, an exhibition. If it were, of course, it would make perfect sense tonight for Yankees ace closer and future Hall of Famer, Mariano Rivera to pitch the final innings of the All-Star game. The All-Star game which will be played in Yankee Stadium, in the historic stadium's final season. None of the ridiculous debate about Rivera starting would have been necessary.

This is a classic case of how two wrongs don't make a right, it was bad for the All-Star game to end in a tie in 2002. It came during a nadir for baseball. However it was a still worse idea to compound the mistake, the prior year's foolish tie, by attempting to turn an exhibition into a competition. Now it is neither. It as farcical as the glorified batting practice that is the home run derby (another competitive exhibition.)

Maybe Frankie Rodriguez should close.

Favre

As the Clarion predicted way back in March, Brett Favre just can't give it up.

There are egomaniacs, and then there are egomaniacs, and then there is Brett Favre. Can we get any more sick of this guy? Frankly, we can hardly imagine how that's possible. Hey pal, you won exactly one Super Bowl. One!?! Trent Dilfer has that many to his credit. Brad Johnson, too!

The Clarion hopes the Packers trade Favre to the lowliest team they can, and then go to the playoffs behind Aaron Rodgers (unlikely.) Favre is about to get his chance to be Johnny Unitas in San Diego or Joe Namath with the Los Angeles Rams. What you don't remember those eras? There is a reason.

We acknowledge that it is difficult for all athletes to let go. It must be tremendously disconcerting to have to change careers in your mid-thirties having never done anything else, but, hey Brett, hundreds of other athletes manage to do it every year. And without a running mellow drama, that has more plot twists than a telenovela. And without dragging their franchise's competitive ability and credibility with it.

This is the worst retirement/unretirement saga since Sugar Ray Leonard.

Don't let the door hit you in the butt

The guy who should
have gotten the job,
Gus Johnson


Or good riddance, goodbye!

Suffice it to say the Clarion isn't sorry to hear that caustic jerk and lead CBS NCAA basketball announcer Billy Packer is retiring. Packer denies being pushed out the door but The Sporting News Reports, Packer resigned with "six or seven more years" remaining on his contract.

Packer has broadcast the last 34 Final Fours. He will be replaced by the wooden and cautious Clark Kellogg. Clearly, in picking Kellogg CBS is trying to go for the anti-Packer. Kellogg, whose best feature, his good looks, won't be visible during play-by-play, rarely says anything with the slightest bit of controversy. He loves to parrot the NCAA line.

The Clarion had disliked Packer's bombastic know-it-all style for ages, but the incident that sent us over the top occurred several years at Duke when Packer accosted two female undergraduates, who not recognizing him were slow to allow him admission to Cameron Arena. Hey, big time, these are kids! Why don't you take it easy! What are you DMX?

Packer's comments at the time (allegedly) "Since when do we let women control who gets into a men's basketball game? Why don't you go find a women's game to let people into?"

Da Bucks

Naming the organization after a creature people in your fan base like to shoot probably wasn't a good idea.










And you wonder why some organizations perennially suck? They may be run by morons. There are few organizations that the Knicks fan can rail on. The Milwaukee Bucks are one of them. (The Clippers are another.)

Word out of Milwaukee today the Bucks are resigning the flop-a-licious first pick of the 2005 draft Andrew Bogut to a 5 year, $60 million contract. Seriously, for a guy who averaged 14 points and 10 boards last year!?! Who career is averaging 12 points and 8.5 boards? He runs like a tree stump. You can get somebody out of the NBDL who can give you that kind of production.

Milwaukee you made a tragic mistake when you took Bogut over Chris Paul and Deron Williams, deal with it, don't compound it.

Did you notice?

Hockey hardly makes waves in its off-season outside of the hotbeds: Canada and Detroit, of course, plus the hardcore, bedrock fans in the other locales. So if you live in neither of those places, and you are not a hardcore hockey fan, you may not have noticed.

Jaromir Jagr signed with Russian hockey club Avangard Omsk. The terms of the contract were not disclosed. The club plays in Siberia. Siberia!

The Clarion has been saying for some time now that the price of fossil fuels was going to enable Russian sports teams to raid Western talent with impunity (ever since we read about Diana Taurasi.)

Juiced

How's this for a number when considering the recent "juiced" era of baseball? Nobody on the San Francisco Giants is on pace to hit 20 home runs this year. Nobody. Think maybe there is a little bit of difference in the power numbers?

One more, the major league leader, Ryan Howard isn't on pace to hit 50. The Major League leader has hit less than 50 only twice since 1994.

Is the ACC a football conference?

Here is a stat to ponder when evaluating that question.

The ACC football champion has lost their BCS bowl game eight straight times.

Special thanks to the Mark Packer Packman radio program for that stat.

The Knicks Draft

Why couldn't they just take University of Texas point guard, D.J. Augustin? Why did they have to get cute? Does Knicks Coach Mike D'Antoni really believe he can somehow turn Starbury into a productive point guard? Pul-leeze the guy is either completely off the deep end or has to be so heavily medicated that he can't play.

Danilo Gallinari, it just roles off the tongue, sort of like Frederic Weis once did. And don't forget Gallinari dominated the Italian League. Which is sweet, because there is nothing that really toughens a kid up for the NBA like being an Armani jeans model in Milan. Plus Coach D'Antoni played with his Dad in Italy 30 years ago, so he brings that to the table. Maybe the Knicks can hire Dad as an assistant coach.

D.J. Augustin, though, ya say? Isn't he too short to play the point in the NBA? Yes, well, the 5'10" Augustin has been hearing the too short rap his whole life. However, as real sports guys know, you can't measure heart. Ask Dustin Pedroia another guy who heard that same critique his whole life, until he was finally accepted as the 5'8" All-Star talent he is. Augustin oozes character. Last year the draft took the best player off of his Texas squad, the NBA rookie of the year, Kevin Durant. Coach told Augustin, a pure point guard, he was going to have to shoot more for Texas to win. Kid went and worked on his jumper all summer, improved his scoring average by five points per game. This was after having the 10th best Big 12 assist season ever his freshman year. And Texas, well, they won six more games without Durant.

And...

On court, is only the beginning of where Augustin's character and skills shine. He was the first, first team, NCAA All-American to also be an Academic All-American in 15 years. My man, got a 3.7 at UT. Oh, and he grew up playing his high school ball in New Orleans, Louisiana, which as your mental timeline might remind you, got housed by Hurricane Katrina, when young D.J. was in the middle of high school. His family lost everything, including their home. Augustin had to transfer schools in the middle of his high school career, assimilate, make new friends, be a good student, play for a new coach, with new teammates, and take care of the family.

The other day he was asked on Mark Packer's syndicated radio program about playing for a tough coach like, Larry Brown (the Charlotte Bobcats took Augustin three picks after the Knicks took the Italian Jeans model.) While he didn't scoff, and managed to sound humble, Augustin made it clear, after the road he has traveled nothing a basketball coach says to him on the court is going to be tough compared to what he has seen and lived.

Hey Donnie Walsh, in the Knicks fans' mind you are already 0 for 1. (The Clarion thinks Mike D'Antoni is wildly overrated and Walsh is 0 for 2.) You had just better be saving all the cap space you can for LeBron.

College Athletics

Please allow the Clarion a brief follow-up to the note we offered Tuesday about Alabama football having its 10th player arrested in the year since Nick Saban took over the program. As we detailed, we were not exactly surprised. Nor should any Alabama alumni who took a look at Saban's record on the way in be surprised.

In the day following the publishing of this post we happened upon a terrific article about former Maryland basketball star, Len Bias: the tragedy, his family and college athletics. This long, thoughtful article by Michael Weinreb took us on a trip down memory lane to a time when college athletics, American news and sports coverage were very different. While not blaming society and exonerating Bias or the University of Maryland, Weinreb did an excellent job of highlighting American culture's complicity creating the multi-billion dollar business of college sports outside the framework of education, and outside, if not outright against, the university's mission and remit.

When Len Bias died of cocaine overdose just days after getting selected with the second overall pick in the 1986 NBA draft, it was a shock. A huge shock. When athlete #10 got arrested at Alabama for selling coke to undercover cops, it was no surprise at all.

What a long strange trip its been. Sadly, very few, perhaps almost none, of the changes along the way reflect positively on American culture or American higher education.

NBA Draft

"Fantastic"


A few quick thoughts on the top prospects in the NBA Draft. This is in the order that we would rate their talents.

One note, this is an exceptionally weak draft filled with overrated future back-ups.

1. Derrick Rose, Memphis- Looks like a super solid point guard in an era of point guards. If Chicago takes him number one, how will they break up their logjam in the back court? Kirk Hinrich has value. Larry "Hustle" Hughes is just happy to cash the checks. Ben Gordon can score off the bench. Chris Duhon quit on the team last year. Only Hinrich and Gordon are tradebble.

2. O.J. Mayo, USC- He survived a year in California with those initials, he has to get some credit for that. Seems a bit demented, but hey cameras have been following him around since eighth grade. He has more in common with a childhood Hollywood star than most of his fellow draft picks. He can score, but is he big enough or quick enough to defend two guards?

3. Kevin Love, UCLA- Perhaps the best passing big man since Bill Walton. Sure, yes, he needs to get in the weight room and lose the baby fat. He is a great teammate. He hustles every night. He is as fundamentally sound as they come, what a basketball IQ! Is he too slow too defend in the NBA? Maybe.

4. Russell Westbrook, UCLA- He is an excellent defender who hustles and plays hard. He is totally unselfish and happy to make the guys around him better. No question about his ability to play NBA defense. He was a winner at the college level.

5. Joe Alexander, West Virginia- A bright, athletic kid who hasn't been playing basketball nearly as long as most of these guys because his dad was a diplomat and he grew up in Taiwan. Word is he speaks some Mandarin, so there's that. Also, word is when the Nets worked him out last week, he put his elbow on the rim, several times. They say he can reach 12 feet from a standstill jump.

6. Michael Beasley, Kansas State- Shawn Kemp's personality and work ethic without the body. Beasley measured two full inches shorter than he was listed at K-State. On his way to one year living at a college, he was kicked out of approximately 11 high schools, give or take. He has a better chance of making the all-penitentiary team than the All-Star team. He is too small to player power forward and too slow to play small forward. Glenn Robinson ring any bells? He, too, lit up the NCAA on team with a bunch of scrubs in a big time conference.

7. Darrell Arthur, Kansas- He is very athletic, but needs to bulk up. He looks like a smooth shooter. He played a lot of big games in college and came up big in the biggest of them all, the national championship.

8. Brandon Rush, Kansas- The question is where does fit in the NBA? He is heady, he is quick, he's a great defender, he can score a little, he's a character guy. What's not to like? A sixth man, perhaps? Clarion fave Bill Simmons compares him to one of the keys to the Celtics run, multiple ring owner, James Posey.

9. Roy Hibbert, Georgetown- Don't all Georgetown centers come with a guarantee of at least ten years in the NBA? Yes he is slow, slower than slow, but he is a 7' 2", fundamentally sound and plays good defense. He won't be a star, but he will be a contributing role player.

10 D.J. Augustin, Texas- This is the guy, after Kevin Love, the Clarion would most like to see our beloved Knicks take. He has great speed, he's a tremendous dribbler and his heart can't be underestimated. Seriously. His Texas team got better in the best conference in the NCAA last year, after Kevin Durant left. Yes, we know, he's too small. (Note that was the rap on the real MVP, CP III, and the Celtics Rajan Rondo, too.)

A few more notes...

We have no opinion on Danilo Gallinari, a young kid from Italy. We have never seen him, but we hear he is slow. We are praying he is not the Knicks pick, but Coach Mike D'Antoni reportedly played with Gallinari's Dad. Uh-oh.

Eric Gordon is terrible, awful, overrated, fat, slow, selfish and he can't shoot. ESPN's Chad Forde who gushes about everybody says, "I'm scared of this kid. He collapsed in the second half of the season. He has no handle. He's undersized."

Mario Chalmers of Kansas will be a contributing member of somebody's NBA rotation for a long time. He plays at NBA speed. He is an intense battler.

Chris Douglas-Roberts from Memphis will play and score points in the NBA. Will have a better career than at least 15 guys who are drafted ahead of him. Ditto for D.J. White of Indiana.

Luc Richard Mbah a Moute of UCLA has the best name in the draft and the talent to replace Bruce Bowen as the Spurs designated defender.

Indiana Update

Rick Greenspan


Disappointingly additional allegations of oversight failure have surfaced in the NCAA's investigation of Indiana University's basketball program. Athletic Director Rick Greenspan has resigned effective in December.

Who the bleep is ProLiance Energy and what are they doing behind the A.D.?

Alabama Football

"The Players Dorm"


What?

No way? You don't say...

You bring in Nick Saban to coach your football team and 10 players have been arrested in the year he has been there!!!

Shocking. Okay, NOT!

Silly us, we at the Clarion had this quaint notation that University of Alabama's mission was education related. After all, we read the school's mission statement as it is publicly defined on the UA website, "To advance the intellectual and social condition of the people of the State through quality programs of teaching, research, and service."

Of course, one had to doubt the veracity of that hoo-ha when Coach Saban was given a salary that is greater than the President of the University, the Dean of College of Arts & Sciences and the Governor of the state of Alabama, combined.

The Greatest Tennis Player of all-time?

Who is the greatest tennis player of all-time?

The Clarion has an answer.





Duh!

Steffi Graf.




And don't you dare say that was a trick question.

As for the men, the Clarion has grown quite sick of the modern hype machine. Every new athlete has to be the best, the greatest ever.

This mindset was spawned in the hyper-competitive thinking that says that, "Second place is first loser." The Clarion firmly disagrees.

In our view, during the Reagan era there was a societal backlash in America against the touchy-feely, everyone who participates is a winner mentality of the late 1970's. By the end of the millennium the pendulum had swung so far back the other way, that before she won a tournament, ESPN made Anna Kournikova, the subject of an hour long, athletes of the Sports Century show.

It is also this mindset, that success is only achieved if you are the best, that is behind performance enhancing drugs. At some point there is going to be a limit to the human body's feats. The records for the 100 meters, the long jump, and the mile are not going to continue to be lowered endlessly. There will be no day of the 5 second 100 meter dash, or the 60 foot long jump, or the two minute mile. Not as our species is currently conceptualized, genetics or drugs may change things, but...we digress.

Suffice it to say we at the Clarion think, Tiger Woods aside, there has been massive over-hyping of recent athletes as the best ever or greatest ever at their particular sport.

Having said that, can you differentiate the Grand Slam records of the four male tennis greats above into a clear cut best ever? Could you even identify whose Grand Slam record is whose? (In no particular order...)

Player A had 12 Grand Slam titles and 3 runner's up finishes when this article was written.

Player B had 11 Grand Slam titles and 6 runner's up finishes when this article was written.

Player C had 8 Grand Slam titles and 11 runner's up finishes when this article was written.

Player D had 14 Grand Slam titles and 4 runner's up finishes when this article was written.

Who is the clear cut best ever? Maybe they were all terrific, all-time greats?

(Note: This is all tied up in a demand for resolution that the uncertainty of the universe belies.)

Further hints...

Player A had won 3 Australian Opens, 5 Wimbledons and 4 U.S. Opens when this article was written.

Player B had won 3 Australian Opens, 2 French Opens, 4 Wimbledons and 2 U.S. Opens when this article was written.

Player C had won 2 Australian Opens, 3 French Opens, and 3 U.S. Opens when this article was written.

Player D had won 2 Australian Opens, 7 Wimbledons, and 3 U.S. Opens when this article was written.

Got it?

And...

Does one of them have to be the best?



Player A---Roger Federer

Player B---Rod Laver

Player C---Ivan Lendl

Player D---Pete Sampras