Take a Bow Albert

With this swing Albert Pujols joined the 500 home run club.  The 34 year old is the 26^th member of the club and the third youngest to join it; Jimmie Foxx and Alex Rodriguez both hit their 500^th homer at the age of 32.  It is impossible for Pujols to eclipse Barry Bonds and restore the luster to the career home run record.  Honestly, it seems unlikely that Pujols will even reach 600 home runs.  None of that matters.

Pujols has accomplished something that only 25 other men have done.  He has done it without a hint of steroid scandal.  That is something that seven of his 500 club peers cannot claim.  There may come a time when steroids are no longer at the forefront of the public’s consciousness.  However, that is not the world baseball fans currently inhabit.  Doubt lingers in the minds of many fans.  This makes Pujols' credibility all the more important.

           Unfortunately, Pujols' milestone comes during a busy period in sports.  The NBA playoffs, NHL playoffs and the release of the 2014 NFL schedule will all distract fans.  That is the reality of today’s fast paced and multifaceted sporting world.  That reality has contributed to declining popularity among younger fans.  It is a sport derided as boring and lacking action.  These are valid criticisms but it does not hurt to stop a second and admire the accomplishment.  The Washington National fans in attendance of Pujols' 500th did just that.  Hopefully, sports fans everywhere value the moment too. 

Think Before You Ink

It would be easy to miss, but there is a new leader in the clubhouse for dumbest injury suffered by an athlete.  A tattoo has sidelined U.S. national team central defender John Brooks.  The 21 year old decided to get a massive back tattoo.  Brook’s has been unable to practice with Hertha Berlin this week, according to his coach Jos Luhukay.  The inflammation from the tattoo is severe enough to render Brooks inactive.

This is unequivocally the worst sports injury in memory.  Sammy Sosa’s back was nothing to sneeze at but the slugger’s back spasms resulted from the involuntary, perhaps somebody even said he was good looking.  Jake Plummer’s epic trip had vaulted him into this contingent.  Attempting to elude the dog at your feet on the stairs is not always the wisest choice.  Yet it pales in comparison to Brook’s blunder.

Spring training 2014 saw the usual equation of baseball player plus free time equals odd injury.  A’s outfielder Michael Taylor cut his hand throwing a bubble gum wrapper into the trash and Tampa Bay’s Joel Peralta hurt his neck exiting his camaro.  Neither of these compares to former Toronto outfielder Glenallen Hill.  Hill suffered cuts and scrapes to his elbows and toes from fighting off spiders that attacked him . . . in a nightmare.  None of the aforementioned players should be expecting a membership offer from Mensa.

           However, Elvin Andrus, of the Texas Rangers, should be ecstatic to hear of Brook’s disabling body art.  The Ranger’s shortstop missed time this spring as a result from his own tattoo misadventure.  Elvin’s right biceps was sore enough from his ink that he missed a spring training game.  Of course, Andrus missed an exhibition game, not an actual game, which is why Brooks has passed Andrus and ascended to the top of this mountain.  So fire up the Guitar Hero Joel Zumaya and play “Jump Around,” there is a new king of this mountain, just keep an eye on Bill Gramatica.

NCAA Women’s Basketball Players are Hitting the Glass (Ceiling)

Northwestern’s football team has filed the necessary legal actions to form a player’s union for NCAA athletes.  The focus centers on paying NCAA athletes for the profit they bring to their schools.  However, an interesting byproduct could emerge from the legal malaise that is bound to ensue.  While football players are eligible for the NFL draft three years after their high school graduation and men’s basketball players are subject to the one and done rule, women’s basketball players find themselves subject to four years of NCAA competition.

The WNBA’s eligibility requirements state that regardless of nationality prospects must meet one of the four following requirements.  She must be at least 22 years old during the calendar year of her draft eligible season, have exhausted her collegiate eligibility, has graduated from a four year college, or she has played at least two seasons for another professional league.  These ironclad eligibility requirements hem in women’s basketball players and stifle the growth of the WNBA.  The only way to circumvent the system is for an athlete to play overseas for two seasons after high school but before she is 22 years old.  Brandon Jennings chose to play for a year in Italy instead of at the University of Arizona.  While his NBA career has been moderately successful, he has cautioned other prep standouts, such as Aquille Carr, about the potential pitfalls.

Aside from the globetrotting approach, the rules force collegiate women to play for four seasons as an NCAA athlete.  Being an NCAA athlete is a privilege and honor most people never enjoy.  NCAA athletes work hard but enjoy benefits that the average students do not, such as extra scholarship money, free apparel, and free food on team trips.  This is not an attack on the NCAA’s system overall.  However, the imbalanced draft requirements between the NBA and WNBA are wrong.

Why is Breanna Stewart (pictured below), who Sports Illustrated hails as the “first Kevin Durant of the women’s game,” forced to limit her earning potential by spending four years at Geno Auriemma’s basketball factory?  This is not a plea for prep to pro in the women’s game.  It is a plea for equal standards between two professional basketball leagues.  This equality of opportunity seems more natural with this article, which establishes the legal link between the NBA and WNBA that still exists.

 

Critics decry men’s college basketball as a meaningless one-year layover to the NBA that exploits athletes for profit as an amateur athlete.  If one year is a farce, how is four years better?  That is four times the risk of catastrophic injury that Candace Parker, Brittney Griner, and Skylar Diggins faced.  None of these women needed to graduate to be successful on the court, success that would provide media commentating opportunities post-basketball.  Graduating is a big deal but talented WNBA players could finish their degrees on-line or in the off-season like their NBA peers. 

           Changing the WNBA’s draft requirements would allow talented players longer careers in a league that is struggling to market itself and survive.  Some women would jump early and fail.  That is the nature of risk.  It is doubtful that a year of college basketball would have saved Kwame Brown from becoming an ignominious punchline.  Stewart appears ready to be a pro but she will have to wait, unlike Andrew Wiggins.  Forming a player’s union and paying NCAA athletes is nice.  Fixing the gender inequality in basketball draft eligibility, and giving women the chance to be pros as soon as they are ready would be better still.

2014 NFL Pro Days: It is a Very Good Year

There are multiple means of evaluating talent before an NFL Draft.  Game film is the most reliable and the Scouting Combine offers a glimpse at the player’s raw athleticism and mental makeup in person.  Private interviews and workouts give the teams an intimate feel for the player.  The Pro Day is traditionally the least helpful NFL Draft evaluation tool.  This has generally been the case for years but not this year.

The 2014 Pro Days have been surprisingly revealing and useful for the 32 NFL teams.  Teddy Bridgewater shed the glove on his throwing hand and potentially cost himself millions of dollars.  His Pro Day performance, throwing in a controlled environment, was dreadful.  Meanwhile, in College Station, Johnny Manziel impressed the scouts with improved drop back and arm slot mechanics.  Johnny Football even went so far as to throw in a helmet and shoulders pads because that is how you play football.  Of course, holding a personal Pro Day separate from your Texas A&M teammates ignores that football is the ultimate team game. 

As the two quarterbacks generated buzz, the most talented player in the NFL Draft tried to alleviate concerns that his motor is sporadic.  Jadeveon Clowney’s Pro Day was less about displaying athleticism and more about blue-collar effort.  Reportedly, Clowney displayed maximum effort during a ridiculously intense session.  Three Pro Days with atypical plot lines is rare in a NFL Draft process.  Yet these three may ultimately be insignificant when they compared to a fourth Pro Day of note.

On April 16^th NFL scouts will sojourn to Athens to witness the resurrection of Georgia’s Dionysus.  Dionysus, the Greek god of wine, was torn apart and eaten by the Titans only to be saved by his father, Zeus, and mended by his Grandmother.  Aaron Murray was similarly torn apart when he suffered a blown ACL against the University of Kentucky on November 23^rd.  In a quarterback rich NFL Draft, the SEC’s all-time passing yards and passing touchdowns leader may be the best of the bunch.  His torn ACL will hurt his draft stock.  However, this article points to a full recovery for Murray.

            It also illustrates the essence of a player who as a four-year starter is primed for a great NFL career.  NFL front offices will take note of the work ethic and determination Murray has displayed during rehab.  His resilience contrasts with Bridgewater’s inability to throw sans glove and Manziel’s carnival atmosphere.  Georgia’s Pro Day will not receive the breathless coverage the other three Pro Days garnered.  Murray is unbroken and unbowed.  He will be one of the steals of the NFL Draft.

The Right Fit for DeSean Jackson Is Not Where You Think It Is

DeSean Jackson is playing tug of war with himself.  His undeniable on-field talent pulls against his unquestionably immature off-field decisions.  Depending upon the report, DeSean Jackson may or may not have flashed gang signs during NFL games.  No doubt, the NFL will investigate this issue as it muddies the NFL brand but alleged gang signs are not the central storyline for the former Cal receiver.  The real question is if the newly minted free agent is only on the prowl for the biggest contract or the chance to revitalize a storied team.

Jackson has visited the Redskins over the last two days.  Given Redskin’s owner Daniel Snyder’s propensity to shower money on free agents, such as Bruce Smith, Deion Sanders, and Albert Haynesworth, it is notable that Jackson has not already agreed to terms with Washington.  Last season was a 17-week circus in D.C. for the Redskins.  Despite a new coach and a humbler RGIII, it is always safe to assume that Snyder will pilot an unsteady course for his franchise.  Thus, the lack of an immediate contract may speak volumes about Jackson’s thought process.  Perhaps this is an indication that Jackson understands his need for a structured setting. 

The Browns and 49ers are each making a frantic push to haul Jackson into their fold.  Despite Jimmy Haslam’s front office impatience, the Brown’s owner presides over a steadier ship than Snyder does.  Rookie coach Mike Pettine is a player’s coach in the Rex Ryan mold, which is not surprising given their long professional partnership.  Conversely, San Francisco offers something Jackson craves that Cleveland and Washington cannot immediately offer.  National exposure is certain to build Jackson’s brand.  The 49ers appear stable, at least until Jim Harbaugh’s next bout of contract fever.  With three consecutive NFC Championship appearances, the 49ers are again among the NFL’s elite teams.

            Where Jackson signs will speak volumes about his mentality and priorities.  If he chooses a homecoming to the best team, San Francisco, he will need to lower his asking price.  If Jackson wants a maximum contract, and the chance to rack up stats and losses, he will join the Redskins.  If he eventually wants to be on a contender, within the next two seasons, and sign a rich contract he will sign in Cleveland.  It is a stunning sentence to read but is the truth.  The Browns have built their team from the inside out over the last several years.  They are poised to compete in a declining AFC North.  Adding DeSean Jackson would give Cleveland credibility and an option to pair on the outside with Josh Gordon.  The only roadblock to this ideal union is if Jackson fails to understand the excellent opportunity that being a Cleveland Brown is for him.

What We Learned from the Heat vs. Pacers

Last night’s NBA action saw the renewal of the best, and possibly the only one worth mentioning, rivalry in the Eastern Conference.  The Pacers beat the Heat 84-83 in Indiana to pad their lead for the number one playoff seed.  These two teams will meet in the Eastern Conference Finals later this year.  Accordingly, the game received notable attention due to possible implications.

Among the plethora of story lines, two stand out from the rest of the pack.  The first is Miami’s last offensive possession.  Trailing by one with two seconds left LeBron James elected to pass to a wide open Chris Bosh rather than force a well-defended shot.  Bosh missed the potential game winning 22-footer.  Notably, there has been a lack of hand wringing over LeBron’s lack of “killer instinct.”  It seems that last season’s dominant playoff run has finally answered the, is James clutch enough debate.  Even LeBron’s harshest critics have conceded that the King will deliver in the clutch, albeit with a blend of Jordan’s grit and Magic’s Showtime.

The second note from last night’s tilt concerns Pacer Lance Stephenson.  After a shoving match with Dwayne Wade, and the resulting double technical, Stephenson failed to control himself later in the game.  He foolishly picked up his second technical foul by getting into Wade’s face after his dominate offensive finish at the rim.  His taunt resulted in his ouster.  Admittedly, Indiana won the game and perhaps Stephenson has learned his lesson.

            However, if Stephenson has not learned from this mistake, it could be the deciding factor for Indiana’s playoff fortunes.  Stephenson is a key member of the team.  His ample natural talent yields the occasional triple double and consistent energy for the club.  Losing him in the playoffs would limit an already limited offensive attack.  Stephenson campaigned via social media to be an All-Star this winter.  A player of his caliber must be on the court during the Eastern Conference Finals if Indiana is to have any chance to dethrone the King.  What are the chances that James passes to Bosh for a 22-foot game winner in the waning moments of game seven with the three-peat on the line?  The Pacers will need all hands on deck at that moment.

Michigan State has Quietly Secured the Future

Michigan State head football coach Mark Dantonio has received a contract extension, one additional year, and pay raise, from 682,905 dollars to two million dollars in base pay.  In typical Spartan fashion, the move received little notoriety despite the impact it carries.  Dantonio is the most underappreciated college coach of the last decade.  His work as the headman at Cincinnati and Michigan State is equal to any other coach during the same span, save perhaps Nick Saban.

Dantonio has resurrected a Michigan State program that was in shambles following the cartoonish reign of John L. Smith.  Sparty had regained his rightful perch in the national discussion under Saban but the program could not sustain Saban’s success.  Dantonio has righted the ship in East Lansing, which is easier said than done.  Michigan State possesses the resources to field a top ten-team year in and year out, however, the arms race that Michigan and Ohio State have embarked in can easily swallow a program no matter how prominent it is, that means you Penn State.

Rather than fixate on what he does not have Dantonio has recruited well and coached better.  The 2014 Spartans were a testament to this.  Darqueze Dennard, Max Bullough, and Connor Cook are talented players.  Yet anyone that watched Michigan State’s loss to Notre Dame knows that this team improved tremendously.  Michigan State was stagnate for stretches of that game and allowed the Irish to run the ball effectively during crucial stretches of the second half.  By the time Stanford faced Dantonio’s squad in the Rose Bowl, these fatal flaws no longer existed.

           Dantonio’s record at Michigan State is 64-29 with a 38-18 mark in Big Ten play.  In seven seasons in East Lansing Dantonio has averaged nine wins a year.  Michigan State has recognized the caliber of their coach wisely paid him accordingly.  ESPN did not trumpet this contract extension but they should have done so.  The landscape of the Big Ten is changing and Mark Dantonio is leading the way wearing Spartan green.