Sunday, April 23, 2006

Dumb comment from Mets broadcaster

I knew this was going to be trouble as soon as I heard it: During the New York Mets' game on Saturday night, former Met and current broadcaster Keith Hernandez said, during the gamecast, women "don't belong in the dugout".

That came after he spotted a woman in the San Diego Padres dugout; as it turns out, she's the team's massage therapist. She and the Padres' manager both took offense to the comment.

Hernandez tried to clean it up by saying "I won't say that women belong in the kitchen, but they don't belong in the dugout...You know I am only teasing. I love you gals out there - always have."

What a weak attempt to atone for a purely boneheaded comment. While anything can happen during a live broadcast, and things can slip out, a broadcaster should have a better internal filtering system.

Saturday, April 22, 2006

Transition

I've been away for a while. You may have noticed. It's an understatement to say things have been busy.

By this time next month, I'll be living in a new place here in the Binghamton area and will have a new job. As I've been getting ready for this transition, I just haven't had the time and energy to work on this site.

At this point, I'd like to keep SeeperSports going; however, the updates may not be as frequent.

Monday, April 10, 2006

Passed on Sunday's bowling cast

I'm one of the few people who faithfully watches Denny's PBA Tour telecasts each weekend on ESPN. Instead of taping yesterday's cast and watching it later, as I usually do, I passed altogether.

The Tournament of Champions used to have real appeal. In the past, the entire season built up to this event. There was no question about it: that was the biggest tournament of the year. The current PBA ownership has built more hype around the other major events, and the prestige of this tournament has diminished.

For years, the T of C was held annually at Riviera Lanes, near Akron, Ohio. Watching this tournament as a teenager in the New York City area, I never thought I'd get to see this historic place. While living in Ohio, I had occasion to pass through the Akron area, and didn't miss the chance to play a few practice games at Riviera. Now, the tournament is held in Connecticut, so there's no sense of mystique or history.

On top of that, this year's final didn't really have any players I'd really go out of my way to watch. In particular, I had no desire to watch Chris Barnes. He used to be bowling's Phil Mickelson, a hard luck story. Close to greatness, but no cigar. However, after a few major victories, Barnes has been ripped by fans as being arrogant. He's no longer a sympathetic figure.

Sunday, April 09, 2006

Happy for Phil's victory

Phil Mickelson won his second Masters title earlier today. Is there any better story in golf? Here's a guy whom most people had written off as unable to win when it really counted. Not only did he break through and win a green jacket in 2004, but he's won the event twice in the last three years.

Stories like this are uplifting. It provides hope for all of us who are waiting for a big break, or some major positive life change. You wait for years, hoping your luck will change, and then it's better than you could've even imagined.

I'm sure Phil would've been happy with only one green jacket, and two in a span of three years is more than he ever could have asked for.

Friday, April 07, 2006

Mets unveil new park plans

File this under: "We're going to pay for it, one way or the other".

Yesterday, the New York Mets released their plans for a new stadium; it will be built in Queens near Shea Stadium. Private investment will cover $550 million of the construction costs. New York City will contribute $90 million, while the state is kicking in $75 million.

I had to send in a payment when I recently completed our family's New York State tax return. We know where part of that money is going.

I'm all for private investment. If a team wants a new stadium, it should find a way to pay for that. However, I fully expect that cost would be passed onto me and others in the form of higher ticket prices.

Thursday, April 06, 2006

Gooden heading to prison

You can file this one under "I've been going through a lot, but here's someone who's having a worse day than me."

Former New York Met pitching phenom Dwight Gooden was sentenced yesterday to a year and a day in prison for violating probation by using cocaine. He's likely to only spend 7 1/2 months behind bars, because he'll be credited for time served in jail and a drug rehab facility.

"I have a problem, sir, with cocaine," Gooden told a state judge in Florida. "I had a cocaine relapse."

At first, I wanted to bash Gooden because I was a fan of his in the 1980's and was disappointed when his drug problems came to light.

But, you almost have to feel sorry for the guy. Here he is 20 years later and he's no better off than he was. It's a shame drugs came in the way between him and what almost certainly would've been a Hall of Fame career. He'll be remembered more for his drug problems than for winning a Cy Young Award or World Series ring.

Wednesday, April 05, 2006

Griffey in the spotlight

A prolific home run hitter made history today. Thankfully, we're not talking about Barry Bonds.

Ken Griffey Jr. hit his 537th career home run in Cincinnati; the Red broke a tie with Yankee legend Mickey Mantle for 12th on the career list. Griffey also notched his 1,538th RBI, moving ahead of Joe DiMaggio, another Yankee great.

I'm glad to see these achievements get attention. That's because I feel confident that Griffey achieved them legitimately. After all, his performance dropped off considerably in recent years. If he was really juicing, he would've fared much better.

Sunday, April 02, 2006

Patriots shouldn't hang heads

George Mason's amazing run through the NCAA tournament has come to an end. Last night, the Patriots lost to Florida 73-58 in the national semifinal. The Gators will move on to face UCLA for the title tomorrow night.

After the game, you could see members of the Patriots hanging their heads and crying. I understand they wanted to go all the way and win a national championship. But, any tears should be tears of joy and pride. By just making it to the Final Four, George Mason achieved something truly special. They have nothing to feel bad about.

Saturday, April 01, 2006

Gotta love the underdog

Is there anyone out there whose bracket is still in tact? I mean, who would have predicted UCLA, LSU, Florida, and George Mason would make it to the Final Four? Who would have thought that we'd have no top seeds left?

I'd love to see George Mason shock the world and win the title. Unless you're a LSU, UCLA, or Florida fan, how could you not get behind Mason?

There are few story lines in sports better than a team coming from almost nowhere to capture glory. It's satisfying to see teams overcome tremendous odds to reach the top levels of their sports. After all, isn't that the reason we've been pulling for Lance Armstrong all these years? It's edifying to see a guy fight cancer and win the Tour de France.

It gives hope to the rest of us who are trying to overcome our own challenges.

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